Gred and Forge
by coulditbeemily
Summary: Emily Martens expects to have the same simple school year at Hogwarts like she has had the previous 5 years she's been there. But of course, her 6th year at Hogwarts turns a little hectic after she meets notorious trouble-makers, Fred and George Weasley. *Note: Oliver Wood's Character will appear to be in his Fifth year while Harry is in his Fourth*
1. The 'Good Looking' Twin

**The 'Good Looking' Twin**

I walked down the hall with Emily at my side, who was chattering away as usual. She was Emily, I was Emily; we both are named Emily. It confuses us more than it does other people, since you could never address us by our first names when we are together. Well that is unless you use extreme and creepy eye contact with one of us. But, as far as we're concerned, I was Emily Martens and she was Emily Brown, and that's that.

We were on our way to potions with Snape, the best class of the day (sarcasm). Looking down the stone hallway I noticed a tall boy with ginger hair walking towards me. By the look of his robes he was a Gryffindor, like Emily, as I was a Ravenclaw. He was soon coming to pass when I waved to him happily. While waving back he shot me a funny face that made me crack a smile.

"Do you know who that is?" Emily hissed at me, noticing mine and the boy's interaction.

I shook my head, "No, do you know him?" I replied honestly. Yes, I know it's kind of weird to wave to someone you don't know in the hall, but this whole thing started as an accident. About two weeks ago I was walking through the hall with Emily, like we do every day, and I saw a friend that I decided to wave to. The boy was walking behind them and thought I was waving to him so he waved back. Ever since then we waved to each other whenever we passed each other in this hall, since I don't think I see him at any other point of the day.

"How do you not know him? You wave to the kid every day!" She exclaimed pointing her arms out in front of her dramatically.

"He's not in any of my classes and he's a Gryffindor. So, do you or don't you know who he is?" I asked again, my curiosity flaming inside me.

Emily rolled her eyes at me, "He's one of the Weasley's, but I'm not sure which-"

"You mean they all look the same or-?"

"He's a twin. It's either Fred or George; actually, it's really hard to find them when they're not together. Like that would help me figure out which is which, I can't tell the bloody difference between them. I'm surprised if they even can!" She sniggered.

We turned the corner and walked down the hall some before stopping outside of potions. "Well I hope they can! Unless they have amnesia or something… that would be pretty bad," I added proudly. Imagine that! Waking up every morning and not knowing which twin you were! Frightening to think of. "Anyway, I want to meet him, he looks nice."

"Are you hitting on him!" Emily teased, hitting my arm playfully.

"No! Wouldn't you want to know who you wave to everyday before potions?"

"Maybe. Depends on if he's hot. And in your case he is so, yes! I would love to know." We both chuckled and walked into the classroom, sitting down at one of the counters.

"Miss. Brown and Miss. Martens," Professor Snape cooed in that creepy voice of his as soon as we sat down. "I would much prefer that you wouldn't gossip outside my door before class. I don't want to hear about your immature problems such as being habituated to acorns and boys."

I felt my face start to burn to a crimson red, oh shit he heard us! We've been talking outside the class for the past week, and trust me, some of the stuff we say isn't exactly teacher approved.

"I'm sorry, but I really have a problem!" Emily told him offensively. A few kids in the class sniggered. I buried my head in my folded arms on the counter, trying not to laugh.

"Hmm, well I suppose you should possibly get that treated," He replied back coolly.

"I've been trying."

"Try harder."

Later that evening I was walking to the Library, I needed to find some research on magical solutions containing carnivorous spores as the antidote. Snape had assigned our first big report of the year, a two foot assignment on the most ridiculous and intrusive topic, and this was all due next week.

Checking my watch I found that I could spend a good half hour for research before getting started on my Astronomy prediction chart. Looking up I noticed the red-headed boy walking down the opposite side of the hall.

"Hello," I politely greeted, feeling slightly overwhelmed with my assignment schedule.

"So you can talk!" Turning around I noticed he stopped walking and was looking at me with arms crossed over his chest and a prominent smirk on his face.

"Of course I can talk!"

"Well how was I supposed to know? You've never said hi before and you're always listening to your friend Emily," He stepped closer to me, filling some of the gap in between us.

"How do you know her name?" I asked curious. Emily didn't really know his, so I barely expected him to know hers. Even though they're the same house, it doesn't always mean they know each other. I didn't meet my friend Rue until last year when Luna introduced her to me, and she's been a Ravenclaw for five years now!

The boy looked to his left, then over to his right. Coming in closer to my face sketchily he whispered, "Don't tell anyone but, my brother has been leaving acorns in our common room to watch her find them and freak out. She goes nuts!"

I laughed and smiled, looking up into his brown eyes. "So, who is your brother? Or should I ask, who are you?"

"My brother is George, and I am Fred Weasley, the good-looking twin," Fred winked at me and I laughed again. "Now tell me, who have I been waving to on my way to Charms for the past couple weeks, love?"

"Emily. Emily Martens. I don't have any sibling's that go to this school so I can't really tell you which one of us is better looking," I joked, pushing my hair behind my ear and out of my face.

"Well in my opinion, it would probably be you." I felt my face burn a deep red in embarrassment.

"I should get going, I have a monster of a Potions paper to do, but it was nice meeting you Fred." I started to walk backwards, not really in much of a hurry.

"The one about carnivorous spores? Good luck on trying to find books about that."

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Great."

"It was a pleasure meeting you too, good luck on your paper." He smirked one last time before turning on his heel and walking down the rest of the hall.


	2. Breakfast

**Breakfast**

Mornings were never the best for me. Getting up early and doing things in a hurry when all you want is to be in your warm bed sleeping. It was safe to say I was not a morning person.

I was sitting on the staircase outside the picture of the Fat Lady waiting for Emily to arrive. She was taking longer than usual this morning and I was really contemplating leaving her there. After a few minutes she came waltzing through the portrait hole, munching away on some sort of food. I smelled it before I could see it. Acorns. They were most likely from George this morning too.

Now you may be wondering how in the world I could smell acorns. Well my dear friend you are forgetting that this is Hogwarts and in its own magical realm. In the magic world certain foods have a stronger taste and smell, sometimes even being larger than normal size. It's as if every thing is magnified by ten. Well acorns happen to be included in this and with Emily around I have become quiet accustomed to the woodsy scent.

I walked over to her and held my hand out by her chin annoyed, "Spit it out." She just shook her head violently with her brown eyes big. "C'mon Em, you know what acorns do to you before breakfast!"

She rolled her eyes finished what she was eating before handing me over a small bag full of them, "You're giving these back after breakfast, you hear me woman!" She protested angrily as we started to walk away to the Great Hall.

"Sure, whatever you say," I told her skeptically.

She shot me a look and was about to say something when we got interrupted by a familiar voice calling our name. Whipping my head around, as well as Emily, I saw Fred and his twin George behind us, walking down the stairs. There's just one little problem to this, I couldn't tell the difference between them. They both had almost shoulder length ginger hair, and the same build as well as eye color.

I continued to try and find differences as they inched closer. I noticed one of them was taller, but I've never really seen them together until now so, I have no clue which had the height advantage. They stopped in front of me smiling. Noticing my thought enticed stare, the two looked at each other confused and then back at me, "What?" They said in unison.

"I'm trying to find the difference between you two," I pondered, my eye's flicking in-between their faces.

"Well good luck with that, not even our mother can-"

"The cartilage on your nose is different, your top lips are too, and you have a mole on your neck," I pointed to the taller one after I quickly rattled off what I saw. They both stared at me wide eyed, amazed.

"How the hell did you do that?" Emily asked from next to me. She was so quiet that I almost forgot we were walking to the Great Hall together. Trust me, that's very unusual for her.

"It's kind of obvious once you get a good look, and by what I see I'm guessing you are Fred," I pointed to the shorter one.

"Good god! You're the first person we've met that got it right on the first try!" George gasped, opened mouthed.

"We must honor you by escorting you and your lovely friend to breakfast this morning in the Great Hall; that is where you're going correct?" Fred asked, tilting his head with question.

"Of course, I could never miss breakfast!" Emily told them happily. "It's always better with acorns." She shot me a dirty glare.

"You aren't getting these back until after you eat I hope you know," I told her, holding up the bag of acorn's I seized.

"Why can't she eat acorns before breakfast?" George asked curiously as we all started to walk, Emily and I sandwiched in between the two brothers.

"Do you want to see a squirrel on crack?"

"Yes!" They both answered at the same time. Emily and I laughed as we continued walking.

"So, tell me, how did your research go yesterday? Did you find everything you needed on the spores?" Fred asked, as Emily and George were entwined in their own conversation.

"Yes, you lied to me! There are tons of books on antidotes containing carnivores' spores!" I exclaimed, pointing my finger at him angrily. I had walked into the library feeling anxious about finding books and turns out the library had at least ten of them.

"Okay so I did, but didn't it make you feel a lot better knowing that there is plenty of information after all?"

I sighed and shook my head, "I suppose so."

We descended down the main staircase and right before we were going to enter the Great Hall Fred stopped and leaned against the stone wall right next to the door.

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"I'm not sure, why do you ask?" It was only Tuesday so I hadn't had anything particular mapped out.

"Well you seem like a very interesting person, and I was wondering if you would like to spend some time with me at the lake, you know have a picnic or something… I heard there was supposed to be good weather this weekend." By his voice I could tell he was faking all the confidence he seemed to put forth, and was probably a little nervous to hear my answer, since we met all but yesterday.

Smiling I looked into his waiting brown eyes, "Sure. I would love that."

He broke out into a toothy grin, "Great. Wonderful. Fantastic!"

Laughing, I turned and walked into the Hall, leaving Fred standing there.


	3. The Tree

**Quick Note: In this story, Oliver Wood appears in his Fifth Year (one year above Harry)... I wanted to let you guys know so you weren't confused haha.. anyway dont be afraid to add reviews! They are all taken with consideration!**

"The Tree"

"So, are you excited for your date tomorrow?" Emily asked me that following Friday as we, Rue, Abby, and I, sat together on the ground of the courtyard.

"What date?" Rue asked while fixing her curly golden hair into a ponytail.

"With Fred Weasley," she chimed all know-it-all like.

"It's not a date! We're just hanging out together that are all," I shouted, feeling a light flush coming on.

"Mhmm sure it- Oh my God, they're making out in my tree, _my_ tree!" Emily's eyes got big as she stared behind me.

Confused at who 'they' were, I turned around and sure enough, across the court yard Draco and his little slut baggage were exchanging tongues on Emily's tree. Draco had his hand wrapped around her waist as she had hers on his neck.

"Ugh, Em. Just ignore them and maybe they'll stop," I told her, still looking at them. I turned around just in time to see Emily scurrying off as a squirrel.

"Here she goes again," Abby muttered, flipping through her herbology book, 'studying' for her test tomorrow.

We all ignored Emily as she trotted over to the tree sporting her black coat and bushy tail. Honestly no one knows why she can turn into her animagus form so easily with little training at all. Usually only extremely talented and older wizards can achieve this, and even then there are some risky factors. Emily just could always do it naturally. Some say it's either because she was charmed at birth or her ADHD causes it. I'm not really sure which it is though.

"Rue!" All of us whipped our heads over to the male voice jogging towards us. It was Oliver Wood, the guy Rue has been drooling over for ages. He was dressed in his usual robes and carried a large text book in his hand. "Here's your D.A.D.A. book you let me borrow, thanks a ton," He replied, squatting down to give her the book.

"Thank you," she said quietly. I smiled at how shy she was being.

"So, I've been so totally been meaning to ask you, how's Quidditch going you two? I have been so out of touch with this season!" Abby interjected, saving Rue's sorry ass.

"Oh, it's been a great year! The other teams have really been giving up a fight this season!" Oliver raved. I swear that boy breaths Quidditch.

"When's the next game?" I wondered. I kind of wanted to see Fred play.

"Next Saturday, it's Ravenclaw against Gryffindor," Rue implied, playing with the hair coming out from her pony tail.

"You guys should come; it's going to be a good game. I heard that Ravenclaw has a good seeker," Oliver looked down at Rue and winked at her. She nervously looked away from us and I could tell she was blushing. Rue has been the Ravenclaw's seeker for the past 2 years, and trust me. She's a natural.

"We will!" Abby said for the both of us.

"Good, well I got to get going," Oliver stood up straight, "See you guys at the game, Bye Rue."

"Bye Oliver," She said. He walked away and Abby and I looked at each other.

"I think someone likes the member of the opposing team," I chided girlishly.

Rue looked away from Oliver who was walking away from us. "What?"

"He so likes you!" Abby gushed.

"Do you think so?" Rue asked curiously, getting closer to us. We just nodded.

All of a sudden we heard a shriek from behind and a thud. Looking behind us I saw Draco and his girlfriend on the ground as people started to crowd around to see if they were okay, or to laugh. I looked into the tree at where they were sitting and sure enough Emily the squirrel was jumping off the limb that Draco was previously sitting upon.

"Guys! Emily did that!" I whispered excitedly.

"What!" they all cried, trying not to laugh.

"She pushed them out of her tree!" We all erupted into laughter as Emily walked over to us in her human form.

"Did you guys see that? They're gonna think twice before they decide to make out in my tree again!" She said triumphantly. She sat down on the ground and we continued to chat about it.

"Hi Emily," a nervous male voice said from behind me. Turning around I saw Seamus Finnigan standing behind me, fiddling with his Gryffindor robes.

"Hi Seamus! I haven't seen you in a while," I stated, turning around fully to look at him. Now you may be asking yourself, 'Self, how in the world does she know Seamus and not the bloody Weasley Twins?' Well the answer is simple. I saved Seamus from getting eaten alive by one of the various dangerous plants in the green houses. Usually I like drawing pictures in there during my free period, and Professor Sprout has a class during the same hour, so that's how I meet Seamus.

"I know, you haven't been going to the green houses frequently."

"Sorry lad, but I've been so busy lately that I haven't have anytime to draw," I apologized, brushing some pieces of hair out of my face.

"It's okay. Are you coming to the Quidditch game this Saturday?" He asked the ground more than me.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss a Ravenclaw- Gryffindor game!"

He looked up at me and smiled, "Wicked. Well I've got to get going, see you later."

"Bye!" Turning around I meet the questioning stares of Emily, Abby, and Rue. "What?"

"Going for two men now?" Emily teased, raising her eyebrow.

"Excuse me? I'm not going for any men," I told her. Certainly they weren't referencing Seamus, we're obviously just friends.

"Come on! Seamus obviously digs you!" Abby stated.

"Okay," I chuckled. Who in their right mind uses the word 'digs' still?", "One, never say 'digs' like that again and two, Seamus and I are only friends."

"Agreed on the 'digs' thing," Rue opinionated from her spot next to Emily.


	4. The Picnic

**"The Picnic"**

"Hello love," Fred greeted as I walked off the last stair, leading to the Ravenclaw common room. "Don't you look nice today? I'm hoping this isn't all for me now, is it?"

Grabbing a section of my floral skirt and holding it out, I curtseyed to Fred. "Oh no, this is entirely for later, on my date with your brother George," I replied sarcastically.

Fred raised an eyebrow at me, "Ah, so you're the sarcastic type are you?"

"Of course I am," I implied, running my hand through my mass of chestnut hair.

We started for the door, walking down the long hallway. I don't know why, but I got the strangest feeling that someone was following us. Every time I looked back though, I saw different people. It must just be my nervousness getting to me, I never have really done this sort of thing with a boy before, and even though I'm sure Fred has encountered in this casual sort of thing a multitude of times.

Looking behind me one more time, I heard Fred take a break in his accompanying chatter, "Emily, are you okay? You're acting like you're being stalked."

"What?" I faced Fred who was looking at me with curious brown eyes, "Oh no, I just… I, never mind."

"Are you sure? Because you seem rather uncomfortable."

"Oh it's nothing, just me being paranoid I guess," My voice trailed off as I looked behind my shoulder once more.

"Come on," Fred grabbed my hand, "let's go have some fun."

He led me outside and down to the lake as the sun shone through breaks of white fluffy clouds that invaded the sky. I didn't really notice until now that he was still holding my hand. It felt weird, not like uncomfortable weird, just the fact that I'm holding something warm and beating.

Even with Fred holding my hand, the feeling that someone was watching me crept up again. I forced myself not to look behind me again, knowing that all that is going to be there is Hogwarts and maybe a few students. But still I just couldn't shake the feeling, even when Fred and I sat down on a blanket lying in the grass. For some reason I got the thought that maybe this just might be the blanket that should be on his bed.

Suddenly a basket appeared by Fred's side, "Ready to eat?" He pulled out two golden plates, the ones from the Great Hall to be exact, along with some food that the house elves usually cook for dinner.

"Fred, how did you get this food?" I asked curiously eyeing him.

"Let's just say I have, _connections_," he smiled boyishly at me.

"Connection's with whom exactly? The house elves?"

He shook his orange head at me, "Tsk tsk, you are thinking I stole the food aren't you?" I gave Fred a knowing glance, "Well if you must know, yes I do have connections with the house elves and you aren't eating food that has been stolen and sneaked out of the Great Hall in any way, shape, or form."

"Good."

"But, I can't promise you anything on the plates," he added, taking out a thermos and some goblets.

"Fred!" I shouted in disbelief, I'm surprised Hogwarts hasn't kicked him and George out yet for all the bloody hell they've raised over the years!

"Oh calm down love, I'll give them back tonight. I swear, you act so innocent, but I can see right through that." He winked at me causing me to blush.

"Really now, what makes me so transparent?" I asked, picking up a goblet of pumpkin juice. I tasted sweet on my tongue and cooled my throat. Before I came to Hogwarts I didn't even know what the hell pumpkin juice was, but ever since I've tasted it I can't imagine a life without it.

"Because, girls who are innocent don't understand me, our personalities conflict each other's so to say. Girls who hang around me are daring, adventurous, crazy; even though you don't seem like one, deep down inside I can tell you are. I just have to help you embrace that." He said nonchalantly as he picked up a biscuit and started to butter it. The way he said it though, made me think he's been contemplating that for a while, trying to figure me out, and now all he has left to do is to wait and see how I answer.

"You honestly think that? Well you're right about one thing, I am _not_ innocent," I told him definitely from behind an apple. Oh god, I hope that didn't give him the wrong impression, 'I am _not_ innocent', it makes me sound… smutty.

To my luck Fred just chuckled and munched on his biscuit, "Prove it."

I drew a deep breath, and starred at Fred wide eyed. Is he asking what I think he is? I'm not all that sure because we could be talking about two totally different types of innocent. "In time I will," I replied smoothly, dodged a bullet on that one.

Suddenly we heard someone yelling from the left of us, well not really yelling, more like screaming. Both Fred and I turned our heads to see Emily running… from Draco's girlfriend as she yelled her head off at her.

"Oh crap…" I muttered, and caught Fred out of the corner of my eye with a smug smile on his thin lips.

"YOU ACORN EATING… LITTLE… UGHH!" Draco's girlfriend yelled out raged after Emily, who was running towards one of the many tree's surrounding the lake.

"Why in the world is Kat chasing after Emily like that?" Fred questioned out loud, chuckling.

So, Draco's girlfriend was named Kat. But Kat what? She would have to be part of a pure blood family or else Draco wouldn't even let her go near him, never the less let her snog him in public. "Oh no, she probably found out it was Emily who pushed her out of the tree!" I face palmed my forehead and shook my head slightly. She was going to die.

"Wait, she pushed her out of a tree? Why?" Fred cried confused.

I took a short sip of my pumpkin juice before telling him the story of what happened during break the other day. "Well Kat and Draco were frenching it up in this tree that Emily claimed hers. She got pretty pissed, which in all honesty I would too if I caught Draco making out with someone in my favorite place… any way, she caught them then turned into a squirrel and pushed them out of the tree. It was wicked funny; you just had to have been there."

He laughed and I turned in time to see Emily, squirrel form, running up a dead tree and sitting on a high branch. "GET DOWN FROM THERE! ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME?" Kat shouted from below, her words were seething out of her mouth. Suddenly an acorn bounced off her head, pissing her off way more then she already was. "YOU… YOU OBNOXIOUS SQUIRREL GIRL!" She yelled while taking off her sneaker and then proceeding to throw it at Emily, who it missed as she moved out of the way.

Fred and I burst into a fit of laughter as Kat marched away, still fuming with only one shoe on. Finally it settled into the occasional chuckle as we peered at the lake through squinted eyes; for Scotland in late October, the weather was very nice. I felt my eyes wander into the light blue of the sky and the puffy clouds that speckled the atmosphere. They looked like they would never leave, that they came endlessly, spilling out sunlight as they poured over the sky.


	5. Hagrid's Axe

**"Hagrid's Axe"**

We ate our lunch with a supplement of chatter about classes and professors, dreams and aspirations. Fred told me all about the wonderful pranks him and George have pulled; blowing up a toilet, trying to sneak into the Forbidden Forest, leaving countless practical jokes for Percy and Snape. I found all of them intriguing and I'm sure Fred didn't mind the attention at all. Finally when he ran out of pranks he wanted to tell me about he decided to turn the conversation on me.

"Okay, so how about you? Other than listening to other people talk, what do you like to do?" He asked as he laid on his side looking at me.

"Oh not much,'' I replied casually, looking down and fiddling with the hem of my skirt. "I like to paint and sing. Dancing is fun too, oh and I read quite a bit also. Boring right? I know."

"No, it sound's nice," Fred chided smoothly, calmly.

"Really?" I never knew Fred held any interest in things like reading and such. I figured he was more of an active guy.

"Yeah, I used to read before me and George started the joke shop. It probably doesn't really compare to what you probably read, but most people don't really know that about me."

I gave him a small smile and glanced toward the lake quickly, gathering my thoughts. "So, Fred Weasley, ex-reader, what was your favorite book?"

He pondered over this for a moment, probably sifting the books he read through his mind, "I would have to go with… 'The Adventures of Marcus McGrundy' by Tom Clemens. I swear I've read that book a hundred times."

I chuckled, no wonder he was such a prankster, the Marcus McGrundy stories were full of boyish trickery and crafty spells. It was basically the wizard's version of the Muggle story, 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'. "That doesn't really surprise me."

"Doesn't really surprise me either. That's the book George and I got some of our earliest pranks from, plus it never gets old." Fred stated, prowling the basket for probably more food. "What do you like to read?"

"A lot of things actually. For starters 'Nancy Drew Mysteries' were some of the first books I've read. They're a popular Muggle series," I stated, looking into the sky.

"You read Muggle books?" I nodded my head yes, "But why?"

Taking my attention away from the sun kissed clouds; I stared at Fred, "because I like them. I like how they solve problems without the help of magic, it's pretty cool."

"Whatever you say love, honestly I will never fully understand Muggle's myself. Magic is just so much easier. Oh look, there's Hagrid!" Fred pointed behind me with a slender finger.

Turning around I noticed the friendly giant hobbling along the gravel path with nothing but an axe in his hand. "I wonder where he's going with that axe."

"I'm not sure, let's ask him. Hey Hagrid!" He yelled, both his hands cupping the sides of his mouth.

Hagrid stopped and looked towards us, waving only after a second, finally figuring out who we were. Soon he hobbled over to us, greeting us both a polite hello.

"Hagrid, why do you have an axe?" I asked eying the tool suspiciously. The wood on the handle was rough, worn, and chipped, as was the blade. It looked as if Hagrid had it for a while, a while being since he could pick up an axe.

"Oh this ole thing?" He looked at the axe and twisted the handle, "its fer choppin' down that tree dere." Hagrid's large hand pointed over to the dead tree Emily scampered up earlier.

"Why are you cutting down that tree?" Fred asked innocently.

"Cuz its dead and Professor Dumbledore told me to do so," Hagrid answered as if it was the most obvious thing to assume. "Anyway I've gotta get worken, it's 'posed to rain soon."

"Have fun," Fred greeted as Hagrid hobbled away. "I wonder why Dumbledore wants that tree gone; it's been there for a while, at least 3 years."

I shook my head and looked over at the dead oak. The twisted, mangled branches were hanging lifelessly from the trunk, bending down towards the ground instead of the sky. "Who knows with Dumbledore? The man has his own way of doing things."

"Of course! Why else would he be the one chosen to run Hogwarts?"

I was about to reply when I thought of something, Hagrid was going to cut down the tree Emily ran up earlier; surely she can't still be… I turned around and spotted her black coat high up in one of the branches, even though I couldn't see them, I felt her squirrely eyes all over me and Fred. "Oh no, Fred! Hagrid's cutting down the tree Emily's in," I gushed frantic. Knowing Emily, she's probably too busy being distracted by acorns and butterflies to be able to move in time and I wouldn't really trust Hagrid's eyesight.

"Oh bloody hell, we've gotta get her off of that tree before Hagrid starts hacking away at it," He stated, getting to his feet. Fred's stature towered over me as he offered his hands to me, "Come on love, let's go save your squirrely friend."

We both rushed down a small hill in pursuit of the dead tree and my friend being oblivious in its limbs. My pace picked up as we drew closer and I noticed the sky not too far off in the distance was gaining rain clouds. Great, rain, exactly what we need right now.

"Hagrid! Hagrid wait! Don't cut down the tree!" I shouted, waving my hands frantically to get his attention.

"Wait Hagrid!" Fred called from next to me, the rush of wind sweeping through his hair, creating locks of orange flames.

He turned around confused, and then spotted us running towards us, "What's goin on ere?" He mumbled.

"Emily Brown is in the tree you are about to cut down and we need to warn one of you about it," I gasped for breath trying to fill my lungs with air. I wasn't out of shape really, but I definitely didn't run that often.

"Oh I knew that. I've bein' talkin' to her, one of me favorite students ye know," He grumbled. I looked up into the tree and sure enough Emily's beady brown eyes were staring back at me. I sighed in relief, as I thought about how much I over react.

"Oh well, now that that's taken care off," Fred said turning to me, "Let's get back to our little picnic."

We walked back through the grass and towards our picnic spot at the top of the gentle slope. It didn't seem as steep as it did when we were running down it oddly enough. Suddenly I knew something wasn't right. I had that feeling that I consumed earlier rise from my stomach again. Someone, somewhere, was watching me again.


	6. Golden Acorns and Belt Buckles

**Golden Acorns and Belt Buckles**

We walked back through the grass and towards our picnic spot at the top of the gentle slope. It didn't seem as steep as it did when we were running down it oddly enough. Suddenly I knew something wasn't right. I had that feeling that I consumed earlier rise from my stomach again. Someone, somewhere, was watching me again.

Suspicious, my eye's darted to the various trees in front of me, the bushes bright red and losing their leaves, the large boulder ahead. Then a quick movement caught my attention, a small shrub to my left moved a bit. With a little more staring I noticed the tip of a shoe jutting out from the side.

"Shrubs don't have shoes" Fred whispered in my ear. An acute tingling swell in my face, knowing that he was that close to me, knowing that that was his warm breath falling on my face.

"I know, but humans do."

Hastily I walked over to the bush with Fred close behind, coming to find two girl's behind there, blushing madly at us.

"Hi," Rue said quietly, putting on a sheepish smile. She sat next to Abby who wore more of an expression of terror on her face.

"Have you been watching me?!" I asked shocked. Both of them just sat there unsure of how to answer the question. "Well? Have you?"

"We're sorry! We just had to stalk you guys! You're so cute together!" Abby gushed smiling widely. I felt my face blush.

"Don't tell her that!" Rue yelled, angry with Abby for letting their missions' motive escape.

"Let me guess, you also didn't trust me too, right?" Fred asked from behind me, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"No, no! That's not at all why we… why we," Rue flustered trying to get her wording right.

"Okay fine! We didn't trust you completely!" Abby confessed, standing to her feet. "We just wanted to be there in case you thought it was a good idea to put brusselsprout flavored jellybeans in her sandwich."

"Why on Earth would he-"I started, angry with them that they don't trust either Fred or I alone together for one measly afternoon.

"Actually that's not a bad idea. I'm gonna have to try that one out on Lee or George later," Fred pondered, his hand to his chin.

"You know you're not helping much."

"Well the gig's up. Let's get going Abby," after getting up, Rue dusted off her hands and skirt.

"Bye, have fun!" They cheekily chided and flounced away.

"Why don't they trust me?" Fred asked, sounding upset. I turned to him, looking into his warm brown eyes.

"I don't know, because you're a guy I guess? Then again, it's not like I go on having picnic's with many of them anyway," I mumbled. It's true though; no guy has really shown interest in me at all until now. Well besides Seamus, but we all know he would never do anything about his little crush.

"Oh really now? And why do you say that love? Surely you've been out with a guy before," His voice was teasing as we started back towards our picnic spot.

"Well, uh, I have yes, but it's never happened at Hogwarts and it's always been by force," I replied nervously. Oh that makes me sound like a smut alright.

Fred shoved his hands in his trousers pockets, "By force? What, did someone shove you and a boy together in a room and made you hang out together?"

"Pretty much!" I chuckled slightly before explaining, "My Aunt Bea was always single, and still is, so she would date around. Well whenever she dated a man with a son, she always set up dates together, regardless if I wanted to or not. She said it was good practice for later and will help her relationship."

"Blimey, that's a bunch of rubbish! Setting you up on blind dates to help herself off in the long run. Were some of the revolting?" He asked curious.

I thought for a second, mentally flipping through the many guys I've hung out with. "There was this one bloke, Michael Freesmellow who already had a girlfriend that he wouldn't shut up about. Then there was another guy named Franklin DeWaltaire. He wasn't all that bad looking, but turned out to be a terrible kisser- and I mean horrible."

"You kissed him? What you only knew the guy for a couple hours at the most!" Fred replied, flabbergasted.

I couldn't help but smile at how protective he was being of me, "What, you wouldn't kiss someone you've only known for a few hours?"

"No, not that I wouldn't want to, I just never have," He flustered, slightly pink in the face.

"But you wanted to; it's practically the same thing!"

"It is not! Okay, let's say I wanted to kiss you when I first talked to you in the hall-"Fred argued.

"-Did you?" I interrupted, extremely curious.

"Well no, not exactly. Anyway, let's say I did want to, but I didn't you see because I knew it would be wrong snogging you after just knowing your name," He explained.

There were many questions that I could have asked him, question him about what he meant by "not exactly", but I decided not to.

Soon enough we found ourselves walking towards the empty Quidditch pitch, lost in conversation. As we neared the field Emily came flying out of the stadium on her broomstick after what looked like the golden snitch.

Soon George came flying out of the field too, chasing after Emily. "No! Wait! That's not what you think it is!" He shouted frantically.

Fred and I just glanced at each other and he just shrugged, "Don't ask, I have no clue."

Walking up into one of the Gryffindor stands we saw Harry and Ron flying around on their broom sticks, laughing and yelling, as Hermione sat in one of the seats with a book in her hand, watching them.

"Oy! Ron, Harry!" Fred yelled, waving them over. Harry and Ron raced over on their broom sticks as I sat in the seat next to Hermione.

"What are you reading?' I asked curiously looking at the page on the thick book.

"I don't even know," She chuckled, sighing and closing book, "I haven't been able to keep my focus for the past 20 minutes with those two shouting about."

I looked over and there were Harry and Ron floating next to the railing on their broomsticks. "Hey Fred!" They greeted cheerily. I ignored them as they talked and laughed with each other, that is until I heard them say one specific thing that poked my interest.

"So, the Yule Ball's this year, you got yourself a girl to take with you Ronnie?" Fred teased.

Not being sure if I heard them properly I asked, "The Yule Ball is this year?"

I felt every one's eyes on me and I felt my face blush in the middle of this awkward moment, "Where have you been, under a rock? Of course it's this year, oh and if you didn't know, the Triwizard Tournament is too" Ron asked, astonished.

"Ronniekins, you will never get yourself a girl treating one like that. A classy lady such as Emily should be treated with respect." Fred shook his head disapprovingly. Ron's ears went pink as he tried to mutter out a response, probably an insult, but failed to do so. "No girl would want to attend the Yule Ball with you if you treat her like one of your mates."

"Actually Fred," Hermione piped up, "A study shows that over half of married couples were very good friends before marriage."

"I'm not getting married anytime soon!" Ron said angrily, his face going pink now.

"Well at least we hope not," Harry said from his broomstick. We all chuckled a bit and then heard a sudden crashing noise.

As we all looked towards our left, were the sounds appeared to be coming from, Hermione was the first to speak, "What in the world was that?"

As if on cue, Emily and George appeared, both looking disheveled; their hair messed up and sticking out, both of their light faces were red, and to top it all off Emily was munching on what sounded like something metal.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, as we all curiously stared.

"More importantly, what the hell are you chewing on!" standing up I thundered over to Emily, only to be stopped by Fred.

George tried catching his breath before explaining, "She… wouldn't g-give it back!"

"What? Your belt buckle?" All the boys laughed, except George who glared at his twin brother.

"Fred, really?" Hermione questioned, getting up as well, "Was that necessary?"

Ron clutched his broomstick tighter, in fear that he would fall off because he was laughing so hard, "Well I thought it was."

I shook my head and crossed my arms, "What were you guys doing then? And what was that crash we heard?"

"Wegerrr shiiing gowwgen orn" Emily managed to mutter, her mouth still occupied by whatever was inside.

"What?" All of us asked in unison, obviously not being able to understand a word.

"I was trying to teach her Quidditch and she thought the snitch was the golden acorn… you could probably guess where that leads her…" George explained sheepishly.

"But what about the crash we heard?" Harry wondered, pushing his black glasses up his nose.

"She had some trouble landing, but nothing broke thankfully!"

I looked over at Emily, whose deep brown eyes were wide with delight, and the wing of the snitch was poking out from between her lips, twitching limply.


	7. Massages Are For Suckups and Hot Twins

"Massages Are Only For Suck Up's and Hot Twins"

Rue's fork slide around the mess of eggs and sausage she made on her plate as she miserably sat there looking over exhausted.

"Are you going to eat that?" Vanessa Summerfield, one of my dorm mates, asked curiously. She was a pretty girl in my year with dark skin and deep chestnut curls cascading from her head.

"No, I'm not hungry," Rue replied half-heartily, giving her plate one more good swipe with her fork.

"Rue, you should eat, you have a Quidditch match today, remember?" I told her concerned. Rue usually gets nervous before her matches but right now? Well right now she looked depressed. Her usually curly locks were shoved up into a messy bun, and her head wouldn't leave the palm of her left hand, as if someone glued it there and took away her neck. This was not Rue. She loved her hair the most and always had correct posture. There was something up.

"Oh, how could I forget? The whole house is counting on me," Vanessa took her plate from before her and slid the remaining food on her own. "Christ, even Oliver is counting on me and he's from the other team!"

"Oliver… he's the one you like right?" Luna asked from across the crowed table.

Both Rue and I answered her at the same time, "Yes."

"Well you're really nice and a good seeker so I suppose it wouldn't matter if you lost or not," Luna assured her in a dreamy tone.

Rue sighed and sat up straight, "Thanks guys but I think I'm gonna head for the locker rooms now."

She proceeded to stand up but I put my hand on her shoulder, "Nope, not until you get my lucky back massage."

She lent me a smile and sat back down, turning her back to me. I popped a piece of toast in my mouth and brushed off my hands before stretching my fingers.

I always start by running my hands over the length of their shoulders, pressure applied. Then I ease into a massage, working the muscle with my fingers and the palms of my hands, finding tense and lose points.

When I was a little younger than I am now, I used to give my Aunt Bea one quiet often and she would always say, "Emily, one good way to make a man drop to his knee's is to give him a good back rub, and darlin' your man better be begging."

As soon as I started in on Rue's tense shoulders, I felt her relax a bit, and by the time I was over she seemed to have calmed down even more so.

"Thank you so much Em! I really needed that!" Rue told me as she got up to go to the locker rooms.

"Hey, when do I ever get my massage?" Vanessa asked, looking offended.

"As soon as you start sucking up to me and doing my homework," Smirking, I raised one of my eyebrows at her.

"That's right, bye guys" Rue waved to us as she was about to departure.

"Good luck!" We all shouted after her, Vanessa giving her much unnecessary applause.

We all went back to eating our breakfast in a comfortable silence among us while the rest of the Great Hall was surging with an abundance of laughter and chatter.

I was almost halfway done with my orange when Luna spoke up, "Emily, why are those twin boys staring at you?"

Instantly I knew who they were, Fred and George; who else? As I turned around to face them, something hard but light and very brittle hit my face. I only got a quick glance of the twins matching shocked faces before I looked down and saw a piece of toast on the floor. "What are you guys-"

"That wasn't supposed to hit your face darling!" Fred apologized as George continued to explain, "We wanted to get your attention."

"Well, you certainly seemed to have it now!" I cracked a smile, just because these boys were so obscure.

"Well any way, we wanted to know," George started.

"-If we could have one of those massages you just gave," Fred finished. They both looked at me with identical puppy eyes, "Pleaseee, "They both chorused.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, so over dramatic they were. "Fine, get over here." I turned back to the table as the high-fived each other. Catching the look Vanessa was giving me out the corner of my eye I raised an eyebrow at her, "What?"

"So now I have to be hot and suck up to you to get a massage?" I giggled a little and nodded my head as Fred sat in between Vanessa and I and George on the other side of me.

"So, which one of you wants to go first?" I asked, looking at both of them.

"I do!" They said eagerly at the same time. Every laughed at their timing and I turned to George, "You can go first."

"Why does he get to go first?" Fred pouted from behind me.

"Well isn't it obvious Fred?" George stated, "The better looking one always goes first." I laughed again and told George to turn to the side and got to work.

"Wow, you're good at this," He mumbled as soon as I started. I couldn't help but laugh at how wrong that sounded.

"So, you excited for the match today?" I asked casually as I worked his shoulder blades with my thumbs.

"No offense, but Ravenclaw is going down."

"Oh really now, well in that case..." I took my hands off his back.

"Wait- did I say Ravenclaw was going down? I meant Gryffindor," George replied quickly, hoping I would over look his comment and continued massaging his back.

"Mhmm, sure you did," I hummed and replaced my hands on his broad back again. Soon I was done with him and turned to face Fred who was entertaining Vanessa and Luna with various fruits and forks. "You're turn!"

"Finally! I was almost thinking you forgot about me!" Fred gave me an exasperated look.

"No, Fred. She was just too busy with me," George joked, but his tone made it sound nonchalant.

"I don't want to know," Vanessa piped in, holding her hands up in front of her. We all laughed again and I turned to Fred again, "So, you want a back rub or not?"

"Oh I want one very much so!" He gave me a short wink before turning towards Vanessa. I felt a slight flutter of butterflies in the pit of my stomach before I started, why though? It was only Fred after all. He was a good friend, sort of like a brother I guess. I've never had a brother so I'm not really sure if that's what me and the Twins are like. Never the less I continued, working his upper back and shoulder muscles that were very toned, just like his twin.

A few short minutes later I was finished just before Oliver called the twins over so there could all head down to the locker room together. It was his idea of focusing on the game.

"Thanks Emily-"George hugged me from behind.

"-You're brilliant love," Fred gave me a light peck on the cheek as I felt my face redden and they both stood up at the same time.

"Good luck guys!" Vanessa and Luna said; Vanessa had a very large smile.

"Oh yeah, good luck!" They both smiled at us once more and winked, expecting more than just an eye roll.


	8. Isn't It Obvious?

"Isn't It Obvious?"

Everyone was hanging over the edge of the stands, intently watching the game that was quickly unfolding in front of us. Lee Jordan's voice tried screaming commentary over the hysterical crowd, but he came to no luck. My eyes watched as Harry and Rue both drove down to the ground, chasing raptly after the snitch. They were both neck and neck as everyone screamed themselves hoarse. Vanessa, who was standing right next to me, looked as though she was about to fall over the railing she was leaning over it so far. Suddenly the crowd burst into cheers as Harry caught the snitch. All the Ravenclaw's around me hissed and jeered as Harry dove up towards the sky. Looking over I noticed Rue landing, getting off her broomstick and heading for the locker room.

"Damn that Potter! Why the hell is he so good?" Vanessa cursed, moving safely back into the box.

"I don't get why it matters, it's not like any of these matches count towards the House Cup or anything," I stated, looking at her dumbstruck face. "Plus he defeated Voldemort when he was a baby."

"Why it matters? It matters so we can get bragging rights Emily!" I gave her a quizzical look and we both burst into laughter.

Looking back out to the pitch, I noticed the whole Gryffindor team was huddled around Harry, cheering as the rest of the Gryffindor's came to meet them. Suddenly Harry was lifted onto the shoulders of two every tall red-headed boys. I smiled to myself, seeing how excited Fred and George were. Both of them were shouting and looking around at everyone, with that 'Holy Crap We Just Won!' look on both of their faces. After seeing that I thought of Rue and how she was taking all of this. She hated losing, and I knew this was a big game to her.

"Hey, I'm going to go talk to Rue, see what's up."

Vanessa nodded her head at me, "I'll meet you back at the Common Room."

I walked away, weaving a path through the crowd. Finally I broke free of the crowd as I entered the pitch. As I looked at the celebrating Gryffindor's, I couldn't help but look for Fred. By now him and George had seemed to have put Harry down and were dispersed into the sea of people.

Giving up, I turned back towards the Ravenclaw locker rooms. As I started for it I felt someone grab me from behind. After letting out a small shriek, I heard the perpetrator laugh and I instantly knew who it was.

"Fred, let me go!" I said laughing, trying to twist my body around to face him.

Loosening his grip on me, I turned around and looked at him smiling, "I wanted to ask you-" he never got to finish his sentence since the sound of someone calling his name interrupted us.

"Fred!" Angelina came running out of the crowd and ran towards Fred, giddy with glee. I took a step back as she threw herself in his arms, which he quickly wrapped around her. "We won!" They both yelled together as he set her back down.

I felt something in my stomach, some weird feeling that I couldn't really describe. It wasn't really happy nor sad, but maybe… jealousy? No it couldn't be. I wasn't jealous of Fred and Angelina, it's not like they're dating or anything. Plus they just won the first Quidditch match of the year and that's definitely worth celebrating. As Fred and Angelina started recapping the game, I suddenly remembered I had to find Rue. I turned around once more and walked off towards the locker room, and this time no one was stopping me.

"Rue, are you in here?" I called as I wondered down the hallway and into the large meeting room inside. I looked around, spotting Rue sitting on a chair shoved into a corner to my right. "Hey."

She sighed, her shoulder's falling. Looking up at me she replied, "Hey." Rue had a look of deep thought in her eyes, a look that showed me she wasn't crying which made me feel better.

Pulling up a chair in front of her I sat down. "So…" I felt awkward here. I'm not sure why but for once I just didn't know what to say. When I walked in here I expected either Rue to be crying or absolutely furious, but here she was just sitting and thinking.

"Em, you don't want to be in here right now, I can tell. I'm fine. It's just a game after all and it's not like it counts for anything anyway," Rue gave me a small smile.

I looked at her for a moment, unsure of what I should really do; is this a plea for help or does she really want me to go? "Umm, if you really want me too I will but I don't have to Rue."

She nodded her head, "I'll be fine, go. I think Fred might be looking for you."

As I got up I gave her a questioning look, "What do you mean by that?"

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?" I sat back down, my curiosity basically pouring out of me.

Rue smiled, "The way he's always looking for you, not only that but the way he looks at you. It's obvious that he likes you!"

I felt myself blush just thinking about it… about Fred liking me. "Well, if that's true you should see the way Oliver looks at you."

Rue sat up straight, her eyes were large, "What do you mean?"

Smirking I stood up, "Oh, you can never be too sure really but you'll find out eventually." Before Rue could really ask me anymore questions, I walked back down the hall and out of the locker room, congratulating the other Ravenclaw's on how well they tried today.


	9. Love Potions

"Love Potions"

Walking back out into the sun the first thing I noticed was that the group of Gryffindors had notably gotten smaller. To my very own surprise, the twins we're still there, talking to various people. By now I figured that they would be back at the Gryffindor common room celebrating.

I walked over to them, hoping to pick up on the conversation me and Fred were having earlier. Now that I thought about it I really wanted to know what he was going to ask me. Then a thought entered my head; what if he was going to ask me out? Rue did say he likes me, but what if he really did? Would I say yes if he asked me out?

"Emily!" I looked up and saw Fred walking over, his broomstick in his hand. Smiling I knew my answer; I would say yes to that boy in a heartbeat. "Where did you go? You just disappeared on me!"

"I had to take care of something that's all," I told him, feeling slightly awkward.

He just shrugged, "No big deal. Do you want to walk with me to the broom shed; I want to pick up on our conversation."

"Sure." I turned around and we both started walking. As soon as we came to a comfortable distance away from the crowd I turned and looked up at his face, "So what were you going to ask me?"

Fred gave me a slightly confused look then remembered, "Oh I was just going to ask if you wanted to go to the party back in the Gryffindor common room with me, but the more I thought about it the more mental I sounded since you support the other team."

I felt my heart sink in my chest a little. So he didn't want to ask me out. Well maybe this was a good thing; if he did ask me out we would be running the risk of ruining our friendship and things becoming awkward with one another. Plus I don't think I really wanted a boyfriend anyway, they're too needy and time consuming. Kind of like a little kid you have to watch over every day, except you don't get paid.

Laughing a little I replied to Fred, "Yeah, just a little bit. Plus I have some homework to get finished anyway." Okay, so maybe I didn't have any homework, but it made the situation a little less awkward than it already was.

"Oh that's fine. What are you doing Wednesday though?" He asked causally as we came to the broom shed.

"Umm…" Honestly I haven't even put much thought into the week so far, but I guess that means nothing, "Nothing that I know of, what are you doing?"

"Well you see, me and George are kind of inventors and we just need someone to test out our inventions."

"What kind of inventions?" I asked cautiously, as he opened the door to the small shed.

"Like, magical candies that transform you into a bird," he stepped inside as I followed. We both walked down about half way before he set his broom down, "Stuff like that."

"And you're asking me to be you're guinea pig?"

Fred turned around and leaned against the wall, "I guess, yeah. You don't have to if you don't want to, we could always just find a willing first year to do it."

Just the thought of them using a first year as a lab rat was more disturbing than the thought of them using me. "Okay, fine, I'll do it."

That Wednesday I was about ready to regret my decision as I sat in an empty class room with the twins and Emily, who somehow got swindled into this business as well; either that or she wanted to do it. So far I've tried 3 different kinds of taffy, two of which that actually worked, and two different potions which one of them turned my hair green. Thankfully Fred and George had created an antidote for that one.

"Okay, next is a love potion, who wants to try this one?" George asked, looking at both me and Emily. Neither of us moved.

"Emily should, she hasn't done one in a while," Fred stated, looking down at the piece of parchment in front of them that they were using to keep track of their observations.

"Fred, who are you talking about?" Emily asked, confused. It's been about the 10th time that one of the twins referred to us as Emily and not specifying who they were talking to.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry I meant Emily Martens," He replied, running a hand through his long ginger hair. It was pretty late and we were all growing tired and frustrated.

"You know what; we should just give you two nicknames. It would make this whole thing a great lot easier," George suggested.

"Okay, you're Ella," Fred said pointing to me.

"And you're Acorn," George pointed to Emily.

"Ooh, I like those!" Emily, or should I say Acorn, chirped.

"So, Ella, you are going to take this love potion from Fred and drink about half, then we'll see what happens," George explained, picking up a small vile.

I shrugged, hardly doubting it would work. Love potions are extremely complex, and even if they managed to brew up a correct concoction, I hardly doubt it would be strong enough. Though I'm sure me actually liking Fred won't help this at all.

"Wait!" I looked at the vile before me, growing slightly suspicious, "Why did you guys create a love potion?"

"Well we needed something to make our products seem better-rounded, you know, something to appeal to the ladies," George explained.

I chuckled as Fred handed me the potion. A strong flowery perfume flooded my nostrils as I looked skeptically at the acid pink mixture in front of me, "Well, here goes nothing!"

It passed down my throat pleasantly, and tasted a bit like a sweet candy. I looked up at the twins, not feeling any change at all. After setting down the vile on the table in between us, my mind suddenly went blank.


	10. Lets Not Make This Awkward

**"Lets Not Make This Awkward"**

Coming to a daze, my mind felt instantly awake as I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, looking around feeling lost. Certainly I was only out for a couple of seconds, but that didn't explain why I was inside a dark… a dark room I suppose. Looking around I noticed it was much too small to be a room, and certainly not at all like the class room I was in earlier. It must be a closet. Panic rushed over my body and I quickly stood up, looking for any indication of a door as I forced my eyes to adjust to the dark.

"Hey, Ella, where are you going?"

I jumped at the voice coming from behind me. It didn't occur to me that someone else was in the closet with me, and he was definitely one of the Weasley Twins.

"What am I doing in here! Let me out, this isn't funny!" I said frantically, turning around towards the voice.

"Whoa, what are you talking about?" I patted my robes, hoping to find my wand, but he had already beat me too it.

"Fred?" by now, I was beyond confused. His hair looked like a complete mess, his tie was coming out of his disheveled sweater, and his face was slightly pink.

"Yeah… Okay what's you're problem? Are you regretting all of… of…" He started making weird hand gestures, causing the light emitting from the end of his wand to light up random parts of the closet.

"All of what Fred? Spit it out!" I snapped, growing beyond curious and even more impatient, "Because as much as I remember the last thing I can possibly regret is either that nickname that you keep calling me or drinking that stupid potion that just caused me to black out and wake up in a bloody closet!"

As I stared exasperated at him, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "Wait, you're telling me that you can't remember a thing after you drank that potion? Nothing?"

"No. Not a damn thing."

"Hold on," he walked past me and easily found the door, causing the room to flood with light. I noticed Emily and George on the other side looking curiously in at us, and before Fred stepped out he told me to stay here and closed the door.

Sinking to the floor, I ran a hand through my hair, taking in how disheveled it was, making me question more than ever what actually happened.

I heard voices from outside the door, but they were by far too muffled to make out what they actually said, so instead I stayed on the floor, waiting for Fred to come back and explain to me.

After about a good five minutes he reentered the dark closet, looking slightly distraught. I just looked at him, waiting to see what he had to say. Uncomfortably Fred played with his robes deciding how to start, I suppose. Either that or he was waiting for me to start the conversation. Drawing in a deep breath I was getting ready to start talking, but instead he decided to go first.

"Listen, after you drank that love potion… well, let's just say it _really_ worked."

I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Umm… well you dragged me into the closet and we snogged for about a good 20 minutes," He ran his hand through his hair and looked at the ground nervously. I felt my jaw drop and a blush instantly found its way to my face, burning underneath my flesh. "It was quiet enjoyable actually so don't worry about how well you did." He muttered.

My brain couldn't even comprehend what he just told me. Part of me felt extremely embarrassed while another part wanted to slap Fred for taking 'advantage', so to say, of me. But there was this odd sense of satisfaction that just happened to prevent me from doing so.

Once I finally straightened out my thoughts (some-what at least) I opened my mouth, "Fred?"

"Yes love?"

"Is it going to be awkward between us now that all of that had happened?"

As he sighed, I heard Fred sit down right next to me, "Well it's only going to be as awkward as we make it be I suppose."

"I don't want it to be awkward, and since you are the only one who can remember any of it, this is all resting on your shoulders," Fred chuckled and I smiled as the tension between us was released.

"Thanks for adding the pressure."

"And if you mess it up I will kill you," I added, pushing myself up from the floor.

"Oh, and that just made it so much better," He chuckled, also standing up.

Finding my way through the dark, I felt the door handle and quickly twisted it open. Stepping out I almost burst out into laughter, because before me my best friend was kissing a Weasley twin.

"Oy George!" Fred yelled behind me. The 'couple' stopped and turned around looking at us with shocked expressions, like those a child has after they've been caught in the cookie jar.

"Don't tell me the only way you can get a bird is by giving her a love potion," I teased, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No love potion here," George said, turning around and looking at me. His ears were slightly pink and he had a very content smirk upon his face. Emily smiled from next to him and gave me thumbs up with an excited smile.


	11. Only in You're Dreams

**"Only in You're Dreams"**

In days that passed, my mind was tossed into an endless battle over what happened with the love potion. I _kissed_ him; friends don't kiss each other and just push the whole ordeal aside, but regardless Fred just acted as if nothing happened inside that closet. It's not that I really cared too much; I was just dying to know what he really thought of the whole thing. What if we didn't just snog, what if I told him things; things that I never would have in my right mind.

As curious I was to know what really happened, I pushed away all thoughts not wanting to bring them up in case they made things completely weird between Fred and I. Plus, he doesn't seem that affected by the whole thing at all, in fact he was even more friendly to me. Every morning he would meet me outside of the Ravenclaw Tower and would walk me to breakfast, but that was most likely because Emily and George would probably leave together before Fred could even get dressed.

That brings me to another train of thought, Emily and George. They were adorable together I guess, adorable as a spastic half squirrel and the popular class clown could get. I do admit though, sometimes they got a little annoying, like how Emily never really shuts up about him and when they have obnoxious poke wars with each other when ever they're in one another's presence. But I guess that's just how they work with one another.

I was sitting at breakfast, half way through my eggs, when the owls fluttered through the opened window and into the Great Hall. Among those was my own owl, Haji. With feathers black as night covering most of his body and crisp white ones framing his eyes and edging along his wings, Haji wasn't like you're typical brown barn owl.

Swooping down, he dropped a slim note in front of me. After smiling and giving him a small treat, Haji soared back across the hall and joined the other owls moving out. Grabbing the letter, I quickly glanced at the envelope, reading the expected script of my Aunt Bea.

As long as I could remember I've lived with her, ever since I was two years old. When I was younger my parents died in a house fire, I only survived because I was spending the day with my Grandmother, Judice. Judice was old in her years and couldn't take care of a child properly, so she gave me to my Aunt Beatrice, my mother's sister. A few years after Aunt Bea took me in, Grandmother Judice passed away and she was the last living relative on my father's side, and my mother had no other family other than Bea, so therefore she was stuck with me whether she wanted to be or not.

Tearing away the paper I was anxious to read what was inside, since she hardly ever sends me owls. She says its animal cruelty to treat animals like that, making them fly long distances to deliver a letter when you could just as easily use the post. As I was unfolding the letter inside, I noticed Haji had come back, and this time he was carrying just a piece of parchment.

Confused I instead picked that piece of paper up first and read it quickly.

'_Help! George and Acorns started to have one of those 'you're cuter' 'no you're wayyy cuter!' arguments and Lee and I are about to go mental!_

_ Fred'_

Rolling my eyes I smiled, stuffing that note and Aunt Bea's into my bag. Grabbing an apple I stood up, "I'm gonna go, see you later guys," I told Vanessa, Rue, and Luna.

"Where do you think you're going?" Vanessa asked me curiously, unpeeling the paper from her chocolate chip muffin.

"To save Fred and Lee from being annoyed to death by George and Emily."

"Mhmm, sure you are," Rue teased, giving me a skeptical look.

"Well, would you like to come with? I'm sure Oliver's probably somewhere at the Gryffindor table," I offered, watching the blush form on her pale skin with a sense of triumph.

"I have homework to finish up, but maybe some other day," She said quietly, quickly looking back at her plate. I smiled but shrugged none the less and walked away from my table.

"Finally, you've come to rescue us!" Lee groaned as I approached the Gryffindor table. The scene before me was almost disastrous; Lee and Fred both attempted a wall of book bags and breakfast platters to separate themselves between the new couple, a wall that looked as if it would collapse if a feather was placed on top it.

"Move over Lee, don't make the lady stand!" Fred beckoned, pushing his friend aside. "Your seat Madame."

I smiled as I sat down in between the two of them, setting my bag on the floor, "Someone seems a bit irritable this morning" I gave Fred a sideways glance. When we walked together to the Great Hall earlier he seemed a bit quiet and spacey, maybe he just had a bad nights rest.

"You should have seen him before we sent you our S.O.S., he was complaining about everything," Lee said to me, not even attempting to be quiet.

"Sod off," Fred mumbled, glaring over at Lee.

"Fred it's okay, we all have feelings you know. You can't be completely emotionless," I remarked, mocking him with a sympathetic look.

He just gave me a some-what irritated look and I felt butterflies start to flutter in my stomach. Smiling back, I tried suppressing that feeling, not wanting to let it get out of control.

"EMILY!" Turning my head forward, I saw a very excited Emily peeking over the wall. "When did you get here?"

"Just a couple minutes ago, but you wouldn't notice since you're too involved in Mr. George over there."

As if I commanded him too, I saw George's red hair pop up from the other side of the book bag fortification. "Good morning Ella."

"Good morning Georgie!" I replied back cheerfully, noting the eye roll Fred gave.

"And how are you this fine morning?"

"Pretty swell. How are you enjoying Acorns over here? Have you been giving in to her acorn addiction much?"

My eye's wandered up, looking at Emily's over dramatic hurt expression and hand clutching her heart, "He is just trying to do what good boyfriends do."

"Or just being smart and giving in to her," Lee piped in while shoving a slice of toast in his mouth; boys.

We continued with our usual banter, adding in fellow Gryffindor's along the way; the twins brother Ron, Harry Potter, their friend Dean Thomas, even Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom chorused in our cheerful mirth. It was until the rest of the Great Hall started to clear out that we did too. Picking my bag up from the floor I noticed how Fred had gotten a bit less moody over the course of breakfast, making me smile a bit.

"See you in the library later?" I asked Fred, who was disassembling their barricade with Lee.

He paused and looked at me for a second, as if he had some prior arrangement happening. Suddenly a thought seemed to have entered his mind, for his eyes lit up, "I have that Charms project to do with Angelina after school this week! Sorry I'm afraid I can't."

He gave me an apologetic look and I tried to hide the slight sinking of disappointment that was intruding my body. Lately all Fred has been doing is things with Angelina, not that I really mind of course since I walked with him to the Great Hall every morning, but I missed how close we used to be.

"It's okay Ella, I'll still be in there if you are looking for a good time," Lee winked at me, and gave me his best smirk.

Scoffing a laugh I looked at him, "Yeah, I'll be there Lee…. Only in you're dreams!"

**AN: Sorry it took so long guys! I was finishing up with our spring musical 'Footloose' so that took a bunch of time and effort... its almost been a month since opening night though so I guess thats not a good excuse... ha. Anyway I love you all, more than Emily loves her Acorns!**


	12. Erik Mikoviosk

**"Erik Mikoviosk"**

In the week or two that followed, there was quite an anticipation running through the castle. It attacked the students, the house elves, the professors, even Argus Filtch the care taker. The keenness vibrated through the halls, into the stone mason walls, in between giggles and playful conversation, gossip and witticism. It was only a feeling that could be brought on by foreign things.

Everyone had seemed to be refreshed about the Triwizard Tournament that was being held at Hogwarts, for the first time in over two centuries, and the other schools it included, Durmstrang and Beauxbaton. Their arrival was coming soon, taking in consideration that Halloween was less than a week away; that would be when they decide on the three champions, one from each school.

It's quiet obvious to any Hogwarts student that the house elves were working twice as hard to keep the castle neat and orderly, from the fresh dusting of window sills to polishing the suits of armor. Flitch, who was constantly on patrol making sure there was no usage of magic or pranking in the halls (something Fred, George, and Lee had trouble dealing with) also had his work cut out for him. If Quidditch matches actually counted this year Oliver might have gone ballistic on them for the amount of detentions the trio served in the month of October alone. Trust me; trying to keep them out of trouble doesn't work very well either.

But never the less I was also keeping up with my own load of homework, spending countless times in the library alone getting feet of parchment written out in my loopy scroll. Once in a great while I'll have someone with me, rather it is Fred, or Emily, or Vanessa and Rue; even Lee would stop by once in a great while.

Finally the day we've all been waiting for has arrived. With a full stomach and a curiosity of our foreign guests, all of us wandered out of the Great Hall after the well awaited Halloween feast took place. To our delight the French wizards from Beauxbatons sat at the Ravenclaw table with me, and we couldn't help asking them questions; it's not every day we meet wizards from different countries.

Most muggles traveled from country to country without a care, but young wizards have to take more precautions, especially if they are traveling by muggle transportation making sure anything wizard related is out of sight. Getting caught with wizarding equipment in the muggle world is a highly awkward situation, especially when they start asking questions and begin to answer with the most ridiculous lies you can think of.

On top of the fact that our guest had arrived, even more buzz echoed off the stone halls while everyone was hyped-up on gossip. Who was planning on entering their name? How do you get over the age line Dumbledore drew? What will the challenges be this year? It was all enough to keep anyone guessing for a long time.

Even Rue and I were speculating some rumors together as we walked up the stairs and away from the Great Hall. Until I remembered that I left my bag sitting by the Ravenclaw table.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Rue offered as I started to weave my way against the crowd.

"No, I'll just meet you back in common room!" I shouted behind my shoulder, trying not to run into the oncoming Gryffindors.

As I walked into the Great Hall I realized how deserted it was, there was only a few kids left and all the Professors have gone. Even without all the noise and students, you still got a warm feeling, whether it's from the memories created there or the familiar look of the warn tables and chairs, one may never know.

As I approached the spot at which I ate my dinner, I started to panic noticing that my bag wasn't there. Quickly I hurried over and looked around. It wasn't under the table. It wasn't against the wall. Unsure of what to do, I started looking around all the chairs. I was positive I had it with me.

Getting up after checking under the table on last time, I noticed a tall, skinny boy was walking towards me on the other side.

"Excuse me, but are you looking for something?" His accent was foreign to my ears and the deep red robes he wore indicated that he was a Durmstrang student.

Instantly my breathing picked up as I looked up at his face; his dark brown eyes, slender nose, scarred cheek, and dark stubble that crept up from his prominent jaw line. You didn't see guys like him at Hogwarts that's for sure.

"Oh, um, I thought I left my bag here, but I guess not." A light, nervous chuckle fell from my lips as I moved a piece of hair behind my ear.

He smiled, "Alvay's and inconvenience vhen that happens, no?"

"Always. I swear this happens every day to me."

He leaned forward, placing his hand casually on the table that separated us, "Ahh, that seems very-"

"ELLA!"

Both our heads snapped towards the doors of the Great Hall where a very familiar ginger was standing, holding my bag in the air. _Fred._

"Fred Weasley! Did you steal my bag!" I shouted in disbelief as he walked over to us. "I have been going crazy looking for that!"

He smiled a very cheeky grin before handing it to me, "No, you left it and I was going to give it back to you." Fred looked over at the Durmstrang student and an unknown expression wavered over his face before returning back to normal. "Who's this?"

"I'm Erik Mikoviosk. I attend Durmstrang," He answered, instantly straightening his pose. Looking between him and Fred, they were about the same height, but Fred's frame was much larger than Erik's lanky one.

"Pleasure to meet you Erik," Fred replied, sticking out his hand. I couldn't help but pick up the slight tension in his voice. What did he have against Erik; surely this is their first time meeting.

Briefly they shook hands before Erik pulled away and straightened his robes, "Vell, I must get going, I'm sure you too vould like some time alone."

Before I could stop it, I burst out in laughter. "Oh, Fred and I aren't dating! We're just friends." I looked up at Fred's freckled face and he smiled at me, a slight blush creeping up on his skin.

"Oh, vell my bad," Erik said quickly, an amused look coming to life on his cold features. "I'll see you around Ella." He reached across the table and picked up my hand, softly bringing it to his lips. Shyly I pulled it away and Erik gave Fred a slight nod before walking away.

Fred just looked at me, annoyed. "What?"

"Who's Erik?" Fred asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Walking forward I smirked at him, "Why, you jealous?"

"No, I'm just curious because I wouldn't trust those Durmstrang blokes, that's all."

Walking out of the Great Hall, I slung my bag over my shoulder, "And why's that?"

Fred shrugged, "They just don't seem like the nicest people that's all."

"I thought Erik was nice."

"Seriously? You didn't see the way he was looking at you? I swear he was undres-"

Blushing I lightly pushed Fred, "Oh come off it! He was not."

"He was too!" I glared at him for a moment before stepping on the first stair, "Do you want me to walk you to the Ravenclaw tower?" Sighing I agreed.

As we walked through the somewhat empty halls Fred told me of his 'genius' scheme him and George thought of to get over the age line around the Goblet of Fire.

"Fred, are you seriously thinking about competing because if you are I will tell your mother!" I said worried as we turned down the corridor leading to the tower's entrance.

"You don't even know my mother! And besides, it seems fun. I'm sure your friend Erik would do it." He insisted.

Rolling my eyes I shook my head, "But that doesn't mean you should too! Fred, people have gotten seriously hurt in this completion. I'm surprised they are even bringing it back in the first place."

"You worry too much, the Ministry made the necessary precautions this time-"

"-Isn't that what they did at the Quidditch World Cup too? And look what happened there."

"As I was saying" Fred continued, slightly aggravated as we stopped at the bottom of the stair case, "Nothing bad is going to happen this year, I promise. It's a new era." He pulled me into a hug and I dropped my bag to the ground in order to give one back to him.

"Just try and stay out of trouble tomorrow, okay?" I said into his shoulder.

I felt him laugh, the vibrations hitting my body, "Ella, that's like asking an alcoholic not to drink."

Pulling away I looked him in the eyes, "I'm serious Fred, just try to behave yourself, please? Just one day, for me?"

He sighed in contemplation, "Well when you put it like that I suppose I could manage it, but you owe me."

Smiling, I picked up my bag, "Fine, deal. Good Night Fred.

"Night Ella."

**Looks like Fred is getting a bit jealous possibly? Who else didn't expect Fred to have some competition, cause I know I didnt! I literally thought of the whole Erik thing today, and I've been working on this chapter for a freaking month... I had writers block.**

**Anyway, hopefully more frequent uploads since schools almost over and I've got some driving plot points coming... yay!**


	13. Lets Talk About Boys

**"Lets Talk About Boys"**

"So… why were you late coming back to the common room last night?" Vanessa asked me the next day at breakfast, raising her eyebrow as she smirked from behind the muffin she was holding. "I thought we were going to review for the Charms quiz we have for tomorrow?"

As I looked up from my plate, my eyes curiously flickered over to the Slytherin table, spotting Erik surrounded by his own Durmstrang classmates as well as some Slytherins. For the first time I contemplated on whether or not I wanted to tell my friends some of my boy drama or not. I just didn't want them to tease me about it or possibly ruin the whole thing, you know how best friends can be. Either they want to embarrass you in every way possible or try to help but just get in the way.

"Oh, I met Fred in the halls; he had my bag." I heard Rue snort next to me as Vanessa gave me one of her conning smiles.

"Yes, of course _he_ did," Rue replied, sarcasm in her voice. I just rolled my eyes and continued playing with my eggs.

"So Fred," Luna questioned dreamily, opening her mouth for the first time that morning, "He's the one that has the ginger hair and the twin brother right?"

Vanessa looked at Luna, a huge smile on her face, "You mean the hot ginger with the sexy twin-"

"Who's taken!" I interjected.

"-Brother, and that totally has been in love with Emily since he first saw her? If so, then yes, that is Fred."

Luna's eyes lit up as she smiled, "Oh! I was eavesdropping in on a conversation of his the other day he was having in the library with the boy with the long braided hair-"

"Luna!" Rue shouted astonished.

"They were talking about an Ella, but I suppose that's what he calls you since he was saying how he was going to make his 'move' soon before some 'arrogant Durmstrang bloke strolls along.' You might want to watch your stuff; I think he's trying to steal something of yours!"

"Yeah, her virginity," Vanessa mumbled just above a whisper.

"He is not trying to get me into bed! And I hardly doubt he is trying to steal something of mine, but thank you for your concern Luna," I felt my face burn as the combination of Vanessa's comment and the real meaning of Fred's overheard conversation meant.

Unless he was really trying to take something of mine, this only really means one thing; Fred likes me. He cares that we kissed and he's jealous of Erik. He wants me all to himself and he's going to make that happen soon. Only one thing was still nagging in the back of my mind; Angelina. Did Fred like her too or were they just friends because I would feel bad if I ruined a good thing they had going. After all they have been close friends for a while.

"Mhmm… well we will see about that," Vanessa replied, throwing her hair into a pony tail. "So Rue, how are things going with you and Oliver? You actually have the guts to talk to him yet?"

Rue bit her bottom lip and she shook her head,"No…"

I shook my head as Vanessa slammed her hand on the table, "You have to get on that! Oliver's a good looking kid and if you want to go to the Yule Ball with him you have to make sure he won't ask anybody else." For some reason I had the feeling that Vanessa's comment wasn't just being directed to Rue.

We ate the rest of our morning meal quickly with only small chatter, the usual mummer humming throughout the hall. I suppose everyone was still a bit stuffed from last night's feast, it's almost sad to think we're going to have another tonight. I could feel the tension that will build as the Halloween Feast came closer with each school hour. Tonight we will finally be able to find out who the school champions are, I only hoped it would be someone strong enough to handle the challenge; like Hufflepuff Cedric Diggory or even Angelina could handle it; I've seen her take some nasty hits from a bludger and she just continued flying like nothing.

Sitting on my bed flipping through my potions workbook I looked over at Vanessa who was sitting in the deep navy chair next to the door. I still remember the days when we were in first and second year and would always have arguments on who got to sit in that chair. Honestly there was nothing really special about it, it was like all the other chairs found in the Ravenclaw tower; the plush cushions were wrapped in soft velvet and incased in the worn mahogany wood that made the frame. It was even as worn as the other chairs too, but for some reason we treated it like something special.

"Okay, all this recent talk about Fred and Rue and Oliver has got me thinking; who do you like Miss. Summerfield? Surely there's got to be someone you have your eye on."

Vanessa looked at me skeptically; putting down the little orange notebook she was scribbling in for the past hour she sat up straight ready to defend herself. "Actually no one. Keeping up in your guy's love lives is honestly enough for me."

Closing my potions book I looked at her in disbelief. Here I was talking to the girl who spent her entire fourth year getting to personally know all the boys in our year at Hogwarts and she's telling me that she's not interested in one of them.

"You're kidding right? No one? There has to be at least one that you want to go with to the Yule Ball."

"Not really," She let out a dramatic sigh. "I mean, I want to go with someone but I don't really know who, plus I really want to work hard this year. Last year was OWL year and they pushed us so hard because we had too but this year I want to work hard because I want too, you know what I mean?" I just nodded, half believing what she was saying. It wouldn't surprise me if she actually did have someone special in mind. "So with all that focus on school, I don't really have time for boys this year."

Shaking my head I checked the white braided watch on my wrist, "We should probably head down to the Great Hall, the feast is gonna start soon."

**Okay a bit of a filler chapter but there will be more soon! I need an opinion from you guys though; should I do a chapter or two from Fred's point of view or should I keep it all Ella's? I'm not sure so if you have an opinion leave a review! **

**THANKS FOR READING!**


	14. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

**"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"**

At last, after what feels like a year of silence and suspense, the names were called; Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, and… what's this? A fourth entry? Hushed, confused whispers started to spread like wildfire as the last name was called, Harry Potter.

I felt Vanessa's eyes widen from behind me, "What the f-"

"Harry Potter!" Rue mumbled in disbelief, looking over her shoulder.

We all just starred in unison as the small fourth year boy walked to the front of the Great Hall. There must have been some mistake; he was only fourteen, he couldn't possibly have been submitted… of course if he had he would have ended up like Fred and George in the Hospital wing with long, white beards (When I was visiting Madame Pomfrey they waltz in, laughing to themselves. Of course Fred stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me glaring at him.)

Regardless he still somehow managed to get past Dumbledore's age line and submit his name, though as he walked up to the front of the hall he did look quite numb and scared. Of course the Goblet must know if you enter in someone else's name right? Maybe that's what someone did to Harry as a prank. If that truly is what happened it still leaves one question unanswered, how did two champions for Hogwarts get picked instead of one?

Later that night I shared my hypothesis with my dorm mates, Vanessa, Maura Khulman, Gabby Livingstine, and Heather Guidone. We were all hyped up on the fresh new wave of rumors as well as the rest of the school.

"I heard he put it there at midnight and the Goblet got confused," Gabby confessed knowingly, lying flat on her stomach on top of her bed.

Maura shook her head disapprovingly, "That's not what happened, Harry bewitched a 7th year boy's admission and when he entered it he entered it thinking his name was written on the paper but really Harry's appeared."

We threw around some more rumors and suspicions, disagreeing with some and contemplating others, but they all lead back to one thought; why did he want to be in the Triwizard Tournament?

Sighing I shook my head, "I still don't understand why he would want to be in it? He already has the fame of being Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. He seems to have enough money to get by too, why would he need thousands more galleons to add to the ones he's got?"

By now we were all in our beds, resting our heads on our pillows or our backs against the wooden headboards. I don't even know what time it was but I reckon it's somewhere around midnight.

Maura let out a loud yawn, gripping the pillow she wrapped her arms around even tighter. "Well I suppose we will never know, will we? I'm going to go to bed now, I'm still full from the feast."

Suddenly I felt how heavy my eyelids have become and how warm and soft my bed was being. Vanessa, Heather, and Gabby all agreed with Maura, saying goodnight and shutting their bed curtains and climbing into their sheets. Wishing them all a good night I started to do the same, falling asleep only seconds after my bed curtain closed.

**Short chapter guys, but I decided to do the next one in Fred's POV, so that should be interesting!**

**Loving the review, but if you have any opinions, comments, questions, or concerns feel free to leave one!**

**THANKS FOR READING!**


	15. Both Sides of the Story

**Both Sides of the Story**

**FRED'S POV**

"So, are you going to ask her today?" I glared at George as we walked down the spiral steps to the common room, Lee right behind us. He has been asking me the same question every morning for two weeks now and it's starting to get on my nerves. But hey, what are brothers for?

"Listen, like I said before, she means a lot to me and I just don't want to ruin our friendship that's all," I shrugged my shoulders as we entered the full common room, it usually was always like this on weekend mornings, and with one look out at the windy, grey day, you'll know why no one was rushing to go outside. "I'll ask her when the ball gets closer."

He just shook his head at me and muttered something about me being an idiot before heading over to where his girlfriend was frantically waving by the fire. I honestly didn't understand what they saw in each other.

"You know she's not going to be single forever right? Some guy could ask her out today and you would miss your chance," Lee stated as we made our way across the common room and to the portrait hole.

Before I stepped inside I looked at him, feeling my body tense up, "What do you mean by that?"

Lee just raised his eyebrow, "No need to get offended, I'm just saying she's really good looking, and good looking girls don't stay single forever."

I climbed through the portrait hole; Lee did have a point. Anybody would be lucky to have her and if that wasn't me I don't know what I would do, I think about her all the time without even really wanting to, she's just always there in the back of my mind, whether it's thinking about . I couldn't even begin to imagine what I would do if I saw her hold another bloke's hand; watching as she looks at him with those green eyes of hers. Forget about the thought of them kissing, the image of it is already driving me absolutely mental. It doesn't help that that Erik guy was all of her the other day. Honestly who does that git think he is? It was his first day here and he's already undressing the girls with his eyes.

I stopped outside and readjusted shirt as Lee came through. "So you're saying that you could ask her out right now and she would completely forget about me?"

"Well," Lee shrugged, "Theoretically yes, but to be honest she's not really my type, a bit too quiet for me."

"Well, if you think Fred Weasley gives up that easily, then I'm afraid you don't know me that well mate."

We split off from the main corridor and down one that leads to the Ravenclaw Tower in order to pick up the lady in question. She was waiting on a small bench just outside the entrance to the staircase, her hair was pulled back and she seemed to be engrossed into a book that was sitting in her lap.

"Good book?" I leaned against the wall and Lee took a seat next to her on the wooden bench.

Ella quickly looked up a bit startled, but relaxed and smiled as soon as she saw me. I mean us. Seeing her smile and quickly reviewing in my mind what Lee said earlier, I knew I had to ask her out today before someone else did.

"You tell me," She lifted up the book and showed me the cover, The Adventures of Marcus McGrundy by Tom Clemens.

"How did you remember I loved that book?" I asked flattered and a bit surprised. It's been almost a month since I mentioned to her that I read that book when I was younger and a normal person would never remember that, but then again this was no ordinary girl.

She shrugged and snapped the book shut, "I guess I just have a really good memory, ready to go to breakfast boys?"

"Of course!" Lee said, jumping up and eagerly clapping his hands, "Let's get going!"

"Excited much?" I asked him as we started to make our way back down the hall, Ella in between Lee and I.

"It's breakfast, most important meal of the day. Plus who doesn't want to skip out on food?"

Ella just shook her head, "Can't argue with that I reckon, but where does it all go? You're so skinny? At least we know where Fred puts it all."

My eyes widened in shock, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you calling me fat?" If she thought I was fat she would never want to go out with me. Honestly I knew sometimes I ate a little too much but I never viewed myself as fat.

She just laughed and shook her head quickly, "No of course not! I'm just saying that you are very muscular that's all."

I felt relief wash over me, "Well, being a beater-"

"-And a good one at that," Lee interjected.

"You kind of have to be," I concluded smirking at Ella, content with my answer.

She put one of her small hands on my bicep gently squeezing it, "So how does it feel having all these big muscles Fred? Does it make you feel all tough?"

"Oh yeah, of course, I bet you I could beat anyone here senseless," I joked, throwing my arm casually around her shoulders. The smell of breakfast grew stronger each step we grew closer to the Great Hall and I couldn't help but quicken my pace. Lee wasn't the only one who was anxious for breakfast this morning.

"You know what else feels good?" I asked her as the large stair case leading to the front hall came into view. Lee burst into laughter as Ella just merely blushed.

"Do I even want to know?" She asked quietly, her green eyes avoiding contact with my own.

Leaning down I whispered into her ear, "Back massages."

She smiled up at me and I swear I would have kissed her right then if Lee hadn't said, "What about my big muscle's Ella? Are they worthy of a massage?" He flexed his arms, smiling cheekily.

"Oh of course, they are just so massive."

We descended the steps laughing and were about to enter the busy Great Hall when I heard someone calling for the girl next to me. Stopping, we all turned around and as I saw Erik enter through the large front doors of the school. My grip instantly tightened around Ella as he drew closer.

"Hi Erik! How was your second night here? Settled in yet?" Ella asked curiously, stepping out from my arm.

Anger swelled inside me as he replied back, not even noticing Lee and I were standing there, "Almost yes, it's been very nice here though. I lot varmer than Durmstrang." I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Well that's good! Oh," Ella looked over at Lee who seemed to be studying the Durmstrang boy in front of his, "This is Lee and you've already met Fred from the other night."

"Ah, yes, I remember him," Erik glanced over at me quickly, giving me a crooked smile that made me want to slap it off his face. Extending his hand to Lee he introduced himself, "I am Erik Mikoviosk, I attend Durmstrang."

"Lee Jordan, nice to meet you. I noticed your accent was a bit different," Lee chuckled before shooting me a bit of a knowing glance as if he could tell that Erik and I were going to have problems. If he kept looking at Ella like that there was no doubt that we would.

"Vell I vas just vondering if you veren't busy after breakfast this morning if you would like to give me a tour of this vonderful school?"

Ella just smiled and nodded her head yes, "That sounds like a good idea! If you want you could invite some of your classmates along as well so they can become familiar with the school too."

If possible I felt my anger surge even more; Ella alone with a bunch of Durmstrang boys? Was she crazy?

"Sounds like a plan!" Erik clapped his hands together, a large grin appeared on his structured face and it almost made me sick. "I vill get some of my friends together and ve vill meet you out here after breakfast."

"Okay, see you then!" Ella said happily. Erik wished us a good breakfast and then said good bye, walking into Great Hall with some of his Durmstrang comrades.

"What about our back massages?" Lee whined as we ourselves entered the Hall.

"Yeah, what about those?"

Ella sighed, "I never told you I was going to give you one, but if you want me to give you guys one I will meet you in the library at one thirty."

Smirking I nodded my head in agreement, "Good. Well Lee, I suppose it's time to get something in our stomachs now. See you at One thirty Ella."

"Yeah," Lee agreed with me, "Don't be late either!"

Ella just laughed and started to walk away, "I won't! Bye boys."

Walking down to where there were empty seats, Lee just smirked at me. "What?"

"You hate Erik's guts, I can tell."

"The blokes a creep!" I stated, plopping down and starting to fill my plate.

Lee just shook his head, "No you just hate him because he likes Ella and you don't want him to have her. See if you would have asked her out sooner than this would have never happened and there would be no need worrying about it."

Rolling my eye's I loaded my plate with sausage, "Since when do you know everything about girls and love, huh Lee?" He just merely shrugged. "Exactly so shut the hell up."

**Hope you guys enjoyed things from Fred's POV! I had a lot of fun writing it hence why its so long hahaha. Next chapter though is going to be from Ella's POV once more. It might be a while until I update since I'm going on vacation next week and possibly the week after that as well sorry.**

**Loving the review, but if you have any opinions, comments, questions, or concerns feel free to leave one!**

**THANKS FOR READING!**


	16. You Aren't My Boyfriend

**"You Aren't My Boyfriend"**

Ella's POV

He was right on time with three other Durmstrang students dressed in their thick blood red robes. They crossed the Great Hall excitedly as they chattered among themselves. I was nervous to meet these new people, I honestly had no clue what they were like and I only met Erik the other day. My nervous slightly suppressed some as I realized they brought a girl with them, but not by much.

"Hey Ella!" Erik yelled cheerfully walking faster to me with his posse behind following quickly. Politely I waved back, giving him a smile. I almost couldn't believe I decided to do this alone, what was I thinking? I didn't know any of these people at all.

Erik approached me, stepping to the side as his friends stood in front of me all smiling happily. The first to the left was as tall as Erik but more built and with short wavy hair sticking out from behind his ears. The next boy was shorter but still skinny with a very boyish face and light brown eye's that danced with flecks of green. The girl was too my far right, she had her curly dirty blonde hair pulled into a pony tail showing off her heart shaped face and dark brown eyes that reminded me of Erik's.

"These are my friends," Erik extended a hand out to the three students in front of me.

They waved before the smaller boy slightly bowed and introduced himself, "I'm Markus Volinski."

The others seemed to follow his lead and the wavy haired boy nodded, "Cyrus Franglisi," He extended a large had towards me and I shook it gently.

Lastly I looked at the blonde girl, a waiting to hear her name. Before she could get a word out Erik gestured to her, "This is my younger sister, Mila Mikoviosk." She smiled and murmured a quiet hello.

"I'm Emily Martens, but you guys can call me Ella if you want. Are you ready to get started?" I clapped my hands together in anticipation and they all agreed happily. With me in the lead, we all walked up the large staircase and out of the Great Hall officially starting the tour.

Two and a half hours later we walked back down from the Astrology Tower, concluding the tour of Hogwarts. My feet were killing me and I was beyond hungry as the lunch hour grew closer. By the time we walked back to the Great Hall we should be there in time for the start of lunch. Perfect.

"Okay, so that's the whole castle!" I said cheerily, turning around and facing the equally tired Durmstrang students.

"Finally!" Markus exclaimed, plopping down on a wooden bench across the hall, "My legs are going to fall off if I have to valk anymore."

I smiled as Erik rolled his eyes; Markus has been complaining for the past half hour and it was really starting to piss some of us off. "We just have to walk back to the Great Hall for lunch and that's it. It's too rainy out to show you the grounds."

"I vas vondering vhen you vould mention lunch," Cyrus replied happily, his expression lighting up.

"Vell let's get going then!" Erik looked at me and smiled, "Show us the way Ella."

Another hour past as I ate lunch with my dear friends at the Ravenclaw table, filling them in on my morning. Erik and his friends were some of the nicest people I've met. They were all funny and even though it was a tad awkward at first by the end of the tour we were all getting along like old friends. They had this chemistry between them all that reminded me of my friends. Cyrus was the quiet but funny one, Markus was clearly the perverted, over dramatic one, Erik was the loud and blunt one while his sister Mila kept them all sane.

I looked down at my watch as I drank the rest of my pumpkin juice, almost spitting it out as I noticed the time. Standing up I got out of my seat, almost tripping over my feet, I was going to be late.

"Hey, where are you going so suddenly?" Vanessa asked, pointing her fork at me accusingly.

"I have to meet Fred and Lee in the library and I'm going to be late!" Before they could get in another word, I hurried towards the exit, breaking into a run as soon as I made it into the foyer.

Out of breath I slowed into a walk once the library doors were in view giving me a chance to catch my breath before entering. I walked inside and the comforting silence greeted me. I surveyed the tables in the front wondering where Fred and Lee were sitting. Then I was reminded that I was meeting Fred and Lee and they wouldn't be caught dead in the front of the library.

Winding my way around book shelves and chairs, I found my way in the back corner of the library where Fred and Lee were sitting on top of a table laughing at a book they had open.

"Well look who decided to show up" Lee stated, looking up from the book and closing it. Fred quickly glanced at me before looking away and getting off the table.

"Sorry, I spent longer than I intended at lunch," I apologized, sitting down in one of overstuffed chairs, resting my feet on the armrest.

Fred just shrugged his shoulders, "Its okay I suppose, we all make mistakes sometimes." I couldn't help but notice the slight edge in his voice and it worried me.

"Yeah I know," An awkward silence fell until I got out of the chair and looked at the two boys. "So who wants to go first?"

Lee's face lit up as he got off the table, "Me!"

"What, no! I'm going first!" Fred retorted, pushing him out of the way.

I couldn't help but laugh at their boyish ways. Getting up I grabbed Lee's hand and sat him down in a chair. "Lee is going first because you were being mean to him Fred."

"Oh please, you've got to be kidding me! I'm the one who thought of this," Fred pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

I just gave him a devilish smirk and Lee laughed, "Better keep it down over there; we are in a library if you haven't noticed."

It only took a couple minutes before I finished Lee and moved on to Fred who has been waiting not so patiently. The whole time he had been complaining on when it was his turn.

"So Ella, have fun this morning? Erik's friends everything you expected them to be?" He asked with an arrogant tone slightly present in his voice. I shrugged it off and continued massaging his shoulders.

"They were all very nice; he even has a sister here too. She was really shy."

"Where all did you take them?" Lee asked curiously.

My hands moved to the base of his neck, "Just around the castle. I really wanted to show them the grounds too but it's too crappy of a day out."

"I reckon that's not too bad though, your legs would have probably have fallen off if you walked the grounds as well." Lee laughed and I just raised my eyebrows in agreement.

"You know, I think you guys should meet some of his friends, I think you would really get along with them." Why not, you know? Erik's friends are funny and like to joke around with each other and right in front of me is two of the three greatest pranksters at Hogwarts. It could work out.

I felt Fred tense from under me and he turned his head and looked at me. "You've got to be kidding right? The kid hates me."

I was a bit taken back at his reaction; Erik didn't seem to show any signs of disliking towards Fred. Actually it was more like Fred hated Erik. "He does not! What makes you think that?"

Fred rolled his eyes and turned back around, "Like you haven't noticed. Oh wait, you probably haven't since Erik and his friends are practically perfect in your eyes."

With that comment being made I took my hands off of Fred's back as Lee stood up, "I'm going to leave and let you two figure things out, thanks Ella."

As Lee hurried away Fred stood up and faced me. "So, how was being alone with those Durmstrang boy's? Did you show them everything they wanted to see?" he asked hotly.

I was really starting to get fed up with his attitude. "Shut the hell up and stop being such a nosey git will you?"

He looked taken back by my response, "Stop being nosey? Sorry that I just wanted to know how my friends morning was, is that too personal for you?"

Rolling my eye's I crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh please, don't try and act innocent about the whole thing Fred. You are getting yourself worked up over nothing and it's really starting to get annoying."

"Well maybe it's because I care about you and didn't think you hanging around with a bunch of guys you didn't know with no one else around was a good idea. Who knows what they could have done to you!"

"Oh you are just pathetic!" I shouted, throwing my hands up.

"How am I pathetic! Is caring considered being pathetic now because if it is I am just so sorry that nobody bothered to tell me!" He yelled back.

I felt the anger fire up in me even more as I looked at him, "I don't know what you're problem is but I think you need to get a reality check because last time I checked I can hang out with whoever I bloody well please!"

"Yeah, and has it ever occurred to you that hanging out with a group of boys you barely know makes you look like a slag? I think you are the one who needs the reality check darling."

I let out a groan of frustration and closed my eyes for a brief moment before I opened them again. "You know what Fred Weasley? You need to stop being so protective of me, you are not my boyfriend!"

He fell silent and I took that as an opportunity to leave. Brushing by him I swore I heard him mutter "What if I want to be" but instead of staying around to see what else he had to yell at me about I continued walking out of the library.

Prior to entering the Ravenclaw common room I had planned to go straight to my dorm as the feeling of great grief had replaced the anger I had felt. Before I could even take three steps through the door Rue had already stopped me.

"Guess what! Guess what!" She squealed excitedly.

"What?" I replied sadly, not really in the mood to talk to anyone.

"Oliver asked me to study with him this week!" She clapped her hands in excitement as she jumped up and down, her curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Why are you not happy jumping with me?" She asked confused.

Letting out a deep breath I took a small step forward, "Fred's being a total arsehole and we just got in a fight."

Rue let out a small 'oh' as she walked next to me, "I'm sorry."

Shrugging I rolled my eyes, "I don't really want to talk about it, but I'm happy for you and Oliver. It sounds like good things are going to start happening for you two."

She smiled and nodded her head, "I hope so. We can talk tomorrow okay? I'll let you take some time to think about things alone first. I know how much you like to do that."

Before ascending up the staircase I looked at her and smiled, "Thanks Rue."

**sorry for the long awaited update guys, I've been busy. Thanks all for your wonderful reviews and follows! I have 29 followers on this story! THATS GREAT! Just one more for thirty!**

**THANKS FOR READING GUYS!**


	17. Forget About the Boy

**"Forget About the Boy"**

The rain still came down in endless sheets as I awoke the next morning. Groaning I buried myself deeper in my warm soft blankets, hoping to doze off once more and just skip breakfast all together. It's not like I had anything to look forward too, I had to do all my homework today seeing as it is a Sunday, plus Fred wasn't certainly going to be waiting for me at the bottom of the staircase. Definitely not after yesterday.

Another wave of emotion washed over me as I inwardly groaned. I managed to mess everything up between Fred and me. It would be all fine and dandy if we haven't grown so close to each other. For the past two months I've spent almost every day with him and his friends, friends that were now mine as well. We even made plans to watch the first Triwizard Tournament event together, not say that plans can't be easily changed but I was really looking forward to it. I looked forward to seeing him every day.

Suddenly I heard the dormitory door open and someone come stomping over to my bed, ripping the curtains back.

"Okay, what the hell happened yesterday?!" Rue stood before me with her hands planted on her hips and her golden curls cascading from the pony tail in the back of her head.

Pushing myself up I sat up, wrapping my duvet tight around my cold body once more. "Well, it's complicated." She stayed in her current position, un-phased by the word 'complicated'. Sighing I continued in more detail, "So, do you remember the night of the Welcoming Feast and how I left my bag back at the table? Well when I went back to look for it a Durmstrang student came up to me and asked what I was looking for. Well after talking to him for a couple minutes I found out that his name is Erik. Well anyway Fred came in and was holding my bag and right away I could feel an awkward tension between the two."

"Okay and what does this have to do with yesterday?" She asked, not really understanding where I was getting at. Or maybe she was and she just wanted to poke around a little to see what else I had.

"Well yesterday morning before Fred, Lee and I entered the Great Hall for breakfast Erik managed to catch me real quick for a conversation. He asked if I would show him and some of his friends around the castle that afternoon which I accepted because where's the harm in that you know? Well apparently that pissed Fred off and his jealousy got the best of him when I went to give him and Lee back massages in the library that afternoon. Basically he was making snide remarks and I was getting fed up with it so I told him to stop being so protective and that he wasn't my boyfriend."

I took a deep breath and looked at Rue, who has now sat down at the end of my bed and was leaning against the wooden frame. "Well… that was quite the story."

I rolled my eyes and fell sideways onto my bed, "Rue I need help! What do I do?"

"If I were you," She started, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, "I would just avoid Fred for a few days, not a lot but just one or two so you both can calm down a little."

"You know I was thinking about that but I think at this point I just want to be done with Fred, if he's going to be-" Rue interrupted me quickly before I could finish my thought.

"No, you can't be done with Fred!"

I gave her a suspicious glance, "Why not?"

"Well um… Because you just can't move on from people that you love. You can't just put them down and throw them out like an old toy or an old photograph."

"Who ever said that I loved him?" I asked defensively. Fred and I were just friends… Right? No, right now was not the time to ask rhetorical questions to myself.

"No one had to say anything to figure it out Ella," She stated bluntly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You two have been heel's over head for each other since practically a week after you met. No one would spend that much time with someone else without developing some kind of feelings. You spent practically every day together, you can't just stop."

"Fine I'll talk to him again, if it makes you happy." I agreed, starting to feel awkward I decided to change the subject, "So when's this date between you and Oliver happening?"

Her face instantly lit up and she smiled, "Today in the library at three! He said he needs someone to help him study for his O.W.L.'s."

"Hmm, well if everything else goes well that's not the only thing he's going to be studying," I replied cheekily.

"Em!" She exclaimed in part shock.

"I'm only joking. So are you nervous?"

She sighed and looked outside, "Kind of, what if it doesn't go well? What if he doesn't like me? What if I don't like him!?" I could see the panic apparent in her face and I suppressed the urge to laugh, after all she did just help me out a ton.

"Hey, I'm sure it would be fine! If it makes you feel any better I'll walk you to the library, I have some research I have to do anyway. I'll sit a couple tables away."

Rue's face lit up once again and she looked at me hopefully, "Would you really! That would be great Em!"

I just shrugged and slinked back into a sitting position, "Hey, it's no big deal. Plus you don't have to worry about me, I'm not going to stalk you and hide behind any bushes."

Throughout the rest of the morning I did whatever I could to get Fred off my mind; attempted some homework, read at the most a chapter in various books, took out a pencil and my sketch pad and tried to draw, but nothing seemed to work.

My mind kept on wandering off to the first Hogsmeade weekend next Saturday where Fred wanted to help him with restocking prank supplies, or how we were going to watch the first task together, or about that one time when he felt like pranking George for no reason and I was used as the decoy, to which I did a fabulous job. Miscellaneous memories and plans filtered rapidly through my head as I tried to suppress them.

The day felt like it was going by at a snail's pace, every five minutes feeling like an hour and the hours feeling like an eternity. Eventually though, three o'clock was approaching and Rue wouldn't stop pacing around her room.

"Do you think I look okay? This isn't too casual right? I don't want to be too fancy either…" She looked into the mirror once again and started to play with the hairs framing her face.

"You look wonderful my beauty," I commented while lying stomach first on her bed. Of course anyone could be considered a beauty next to me; I was dressed in a pair of jeans and a jumper with my hair up in a messy ponytail and my makeup from yesterday smudged under my eyes.

Rue smoothed her hands over the front of her blue cardigan, readjusting the buttons and pulling on the sleeves. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, and Oliver is probably just as nervous as you are so don't worry about it." I looked down at my watch noticing it was five-till three and decided that right about now was a good time to leave. "Its 2:55, are you ready to go?"

She took in a deep breath and turned around letting it out slowly, "As ready as I'll ever be!"

**Hey guys! GUESS WHAT! OVER 5,000 PEOPLE HAVE VIEWED MY STORY. My mind is blown, seriously. Oh, and I've got 30 follower's now too, an even number :). Just wanted to know how great you all are. Anyway some business to attend too; I am thinking about making a tumblr for this story, answering questions, posting little blurbs and updates, drawing character perceptions, and a bunch of other stuff! I will only create one if people are interested so if you have an opinion don't be shy! Also, I am thinking about rewriting some of the beginning chapter and re-arranging them and what not, so don't be alarmed if something changes. **

**THANKS FOR READING GUYS!**


	18. Kids in Love

******"Kids in Love"**

"Alright spill; how did you and Oliver's date go yesterday? I want all the details," Vanessa asked as soon as Rue and I sat down at the table early on a Monday morning. Smirking I looked over at Rue who was tying her hair into a ponytail.

The study 'date' went well in my opinion. I sat close by next to one of the library's fireplaces; close enough to some-what eavesdrop but far enough away not to be questioned. It was a bit awkward at first but by the end they had ended up forgetting about studying for their pre-O.W.L. quizzes and had divulged into easy conversation. Turns out, Quidditch wasn't the only thing they had in common, though it took up the majority of their conversation.

"Well at first we were both kind of shy, I think it was nerves you know? But after we got some review done we started talking about Quidditch and our favorite classes and plans after Hogwarts. He wants to either become a professional Quidditch player or a Quidditch broadcaster.

"Then we decided to go to dinner since it was getting late and all, so we walked down together and on the way he asked if I would like to study with him again this week!"

Vanessa clapped her hands together in excitement, "That's good news! You said yes though right?!"

Rue smiled and nodded her head, "Yeah we're meeting up on Wednesday after his Quidditch practice."

"God forbid Oliver miss Quidditch practice," I said sarcastically as I started to pile various foods onto my plate. Glancing up to the ceiling I noted the cloudy day, not really rainy, but light grey ones floating between peeks of blue.

"You know, I really don't see why you all get so worked up about boys, they're nothing special. For what it looks like all they do cause problems in your lives." We all looked over at Luna who was peering over the top of the latest issue of The Quibbler. She was quiet in the mornings so it was a bit of a surprise that she was even talking.

Rue knitted her eyebrows together, "Well don't you ever want to feel like you're in love?"

"Oh well of course, but I don't need a boy for that to happen you see. Humans fall in love with more than they realize, like how Oliver is in love with Quidditch and how you love to read. Emily loves polka dots and Vanessa loves the smell of coconuts; we all are in love and none of it requires boys."

We all gazed at her, taking in what she said and how true that statement was. You didn't need another human being to be in love, you could fall in love with anything. Acorns was, well, in love with acorns, Neville Longbottom was in love with plants, Hermione Granger was in love with knowledge, and Fred and George were in love with pranking. We were all in love.

"You know what Luna, you are exactly right. The hell with boys!" I stated proudly, banging my fist on the table.

Vanessa sighed, "I really do love the smell of coconuts…"

Laughing I looked up from our table and my eyes made contact with the Gryffindor table, instantly spotting Fred, Lee, George, Emily and another girl, one whom I've never really recognized. She had fair blonde hair and pale skin; surely she looked like a Beauxbaton student. She was sitting in between Fred and Lee, laughing at something they must have said. Instantly I felt jealousy and hurt rush through me as I notice his arm was around her shoulder.

Feeling my appetite escape from my stomach I pushed my plate away and picked up my bag, "I'm not really hungry this morning guys so I'm just going to head off to class. See you later."

Vanessa looked at me confused, "Okay, I'll see you in Charms."

Quickly I exited the Great Hall and walked up the large staircase heading down the hallway to my first class. Once I was only a couple minutes away from it I sat down on a bench and looked at the old tiled floor.

He's moved on already, there's already somebody new and it's only been two days. Maybe nothing we did really mattered to him; maybe I was just another girl to him and that every day we spent together, every plan and promise we made was nothing, just a bunch of words. There is no denying that he led me on though, from our first picnic to all the back massages I gave him. Was I really that vulnerable to believe that it was important to Fred as it was to me?

I heard the bell ring, signaling that classes were going to start in a few minutes. Hearing the voice roar from the Great Hall I picked up my bag once more and started off to class.

Later during my free period after lunch I decided to do something I haven't in a while. I headed down to the green houses with my sketch pad and various pencils ready to draw some more plants.

I entered the main green house and spotted Professor Sprout feeding some bright red flowers with a peculiar looking watering can.

"Good afternoon Professor," I greeted politely, pulling out a stool to sit on.

She turned around and set the watering can down, which looked like it was full of a purple smoking liquid. "Miss. Martens, I haven't seen you here in a while, what brings you here today?" I held up my sketch book for her to see and she nodded in comprehension, "Ah, drawing is it? Just stay away from the Pretious Petunias; they haven't been feed so they're feeling a bit snappish."

Smiling and nodded, "Okay." Flipping open my book I got started right away, sketching the bright red flowers that had just been watered. I was about halfway through when the door slammed shut, causing me to lose focus and turn around.

"There you are! Listen, we need to talk."

I raised my eyebrow in confusion, "George?"

"I know, I am probably the last person you expected to go looking for you," He chuckled and pulled out a stool next to my own.

"So what is it that you need to tell me?"

George drew in a deep breath, "It's Fred, he's not acting like himself and it's bothering me."

I rolled my eyes and looked back down at my drawing, "Why are you asking me? Didn't you know that we aren't friends anymore?"

"But that's the thing," George said hastily, his tone catching my attention once more, "This all started after you guys de-friended each other or whatever. He hasn't been acting like himself for the past two days, he hasn't been eating, he stays up late at night, he barely talks to anyone."

"Well he seemed pretty comfortable this morning with that Blonde at breakfast." I set my drawing supplies aside and crossed my arms.

"Who, Delia? She fancies Lee and we were trying to get them together this morning."

"Really? She was going for Lee?" I questioned, slightly impressed with Mr. Jordan.

"Yeah, we're as surprised as you are," George commented, looking surprised but then sinking back into his pervious manner, "But seriously, could you at least talk Fred so you two could sort things out? He's my twin after all and with him being in such a bad mood it starts to wear off onto me."

He looked almost desperate as he sat next to me, Georges brown eyes were deep with intense pleading. It was going to be impossible to say no.

"Sure, I'll give it a shot."

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been a bit busy and bought Sims 3... it's addicting...  
>Anyway! I have the tumblr page all set up! just go to .com! The theme kinda sucks right now since I just threw one on there so if anyone is interested in making me one go right ahead! On the side panel theres some pretty cool links to where you can read the story, to ask and submission boxs to a polyvore I created for Ella... SO check it out!<strong>

**THANKS FOR READING GUYS!**


	19. I Love You More Than Polka Dots

**"I Love You More Than Polka Dots"**

I planned to keep my promise to George, but over the next few days the thought started to seem even more impossible. Who knows where this conversation would lead us? Better yet, what was I supposed to say? Sorry that you are pissing me off and need to work on your trust issues? It didn't really help that Erik was starting to become better friends with me. Not that I didn't like Erik, he was a nice guy and all and his friends were a good bunch of people, but it didn't really give me an opportunity to approach Fred. Sometimes in the free period that we shared, Erik, Vanessa, and I would hang out in the courtyard together. Coincidently Fred also lingered there during his free period, trust me, there was no lack of awkward glances at each other. Each time we would catch each other's eye but just look away. That being said his twin and I also had caught each other's eye a few times, but it was always a knowing 'hurry up and talk to him' glance coming from George.

Plus, as the school year really started to run at a faster pace, my assignments were more than enough to keep me busy. Most nights you could find me and my fellow dorm mates in the library, our noses stuffed in various books to get the most knowledge we could from them, every last drop.

Actually, that was right where I was headed now. I told Maura and Vanessa to meet me down there as I went to change quickly and now I am on my way to get together with them again.

"Hey, Ella!"

At first I thought it was Fred calling me, and I almost got my hopes up that it was, but turning around I found it was George. It seems like that boy is always trying to find me.

"What's up George?" I asked as he came closer. He looked out of breath and a bit disheveled as if he was running to find me.

Letting out a deep breath he looked at me with a hopeful expression in his brown eyes, "Um, Emily was wondering if you could help her on the Potions assignment, she said that you had some sort of book that would help her with it?"

"A book? I don't know what she's talking about." Last I knew we both had the same set of books for the subject and I hadn't taken anything out of the library regarding the Potions assignment. I looked a George in confusion knowing that there was more to this then just a book, why would he run to me for that?

"I honestly didn't really understand what she was talking about, why don't you just come with me and we will sort this all out?" He offered, gesturing down the opposite way of the library.

I looked at him skeptically and contemplating on whether or not I should go with him, Maura and Vanessa are waiting for me after all. Figuring it would only take a few minutes I nodded my head, "Alright, but I have to make it quick."

George led me down the rest of this corridor then turned right onto another, almost identical, one. About halfway down he opened the door to an empty classroom and held it open for me. Giving him one last skeptical glance I stepped in and froze.

"Okay, what's going on here?"

Fred Weasley was sitting on a desk, his arms crossed over his chest and an annoyed look on his face.

"I need to go," I muttered, quickly I turning to leave.

"Oh no you don't," George said, turning me back around and pushing me farther into the room.

"You two need to work things out between each other," Emily said, emerging from the other side of the desk that was set up in the front of the room. I didn't notice she was here until now.

Fred and I both fell quiet as the other two made their way towards the door, "We'll leave you too alone now."

The door clicked shut behind me and I stayed where I was, my feet planted to the ground unwilling to walk forward. It was quiet and tense for a good minute as I looked anywhere but at Fred and Fred didn't look at anything but me, but in those moments the minutes feel like hours.

"You know, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I feel really bad." He broke the tension, cut it like a knife.

My eye's snapped up to meet his, and for the first time I really took in his appearance; the dull eyes, the bags that were smudged under them, his skin even looked paler that it did before. He didn't look like Fred.

"If you're so sorry then why did you do it?"

He shrugged his shoulders and slipped off the desk, instead opting to lean against it now. "Because I'm stupid, because I was jealous. I did it because I am completely in love with you and I couldn't understand why you would want to hang out with any other guy but me. Was I not enough for you? Was there something he had to offer you that I didn't? I just wanted you all to myself, where you belong. You really had me going when we snogged in the closet, you made me want you more than ever, but then you didn't remember any of it so I didn't want to ruin our friendship.

"It wasn't the fact that you had other friends, I don't care about that, I was just nervous that he would take you away from me and that I would miss my chance. Then when you told me I wasn't your boyfriend and walked away that crushed me, I thought I had no chance left with you, that I destroyed it all, everything we did together was for nothing. And even if it was for nothing I'm going to be able to sleep a little better at night knowing that I don't have to hide it anymore, that you know that I love you, that I love every part of you."

I still hadn't moved, I don't think I had even blinked as Fred started to rant, walking towards me in a pace-like manner. It was like everything was starting to make sense now, the riddle was solving itself in front of me and the puzzle pieces were beginning to fit together and the picture was becoming clear. Fred didn't hate me, he never hated me it was the exact opposite, he loved me.

Now as he started to wrap his arms around my waist, I finally willed myself into his eyes which were now warm and soft, all the dullness had vanished and I could feel myself start to melt. It was all a haze as he drew me in closer, our bodies touching, melding together. I felt myself slowly bat my eyelashes as we just stared at each other.

"And right now the only thing in the world I want to do is kiss you."

My mind was thrown into a whirlwind as the small space in between us finally closed and I felt the unnoticed anticipation work its way from my heart beat and into my lips.

_I pressed my lips to his, running one of my hands threw his hair and gentle grabbing a large section of it in the back as my other hand worked the tie out from under his jumper. Fred bit down on my lip and groaned as his back hit the wall, gripping my hips tighter. _

_I felt his fingertips guide their way up my stomach, resting on the buttons at the top of my blouse. I kissed him again, running my hands from his neck down his shoulders then his chest, feeling the feverish skin underneath. He started to button my top, his head abandoning my lips and following in pursuit of the bare skin his hands were revealing. Taking a slight detour to roam my neck, he soon made his way down to my chest, kissing the freckles there then both tops of my breasts, earning a light, breathy moan from me._

_"Fred, I love you so much. I always have."_

_He returned back to my mouth before giving me a long passionate kiss and saying, "I'm in love with you too darling."_

We pulled away, my mind coming back into focus. That was when we were in the closet, back when I was testing the love potion. I told him I loved him. He knew that, he knew that all this time but I just haven't realized it yet that I loved him too.

"I'm sorry," Fred's eyes widened realizing what had just happened, realizing that he just spilled his guts to me and kissed me. Like, he actually kissed me, not with the aid of a love potion or anything else. "I should have never done that."

I shook my head, still looking at him as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Fred, I remember now, I remember what had happened in the closet!"

His eyes widened, "You remember? How much?"

"And you've known all along and you didn't say anything to me," I continued on, ignoring his questions, "You know that I love you."

A wide smile spread its way across his face, "You actually love me?"

"Yes! I do, I guess I have for a while but I never really wanted to accept it. I didn't want to ruin our friendship or make things weird again like they were when we got out of the closet." It was unbelievable how good it felt to get that off my chest, to let Fred know how I really feel.

"I didn't want to tell you for the same reasons; I didn't want to mess up the whole friendship thing. Plus when you couldn't remember anything when you took the love potion I thought that telling me that you loved me was just another side effect. I wasn't sure if it was real or not."

It was my turn to approach him and I wrapped my arms around his long torso and looked up at him, "Well it's the truth, I am in love with you."

Fred chuckled before lifting my chin up for second kiss, one that was as good as the first and about 100 times better than Franklin DeWaltaire. Right then I knew that things were going to start to get better from now on. All that was left was to get Rue and Oliver together.

**So you guys know that there are very very few times that I update two days in a row, but I have been planning this whole thing out in my head and I thought now was a good time to work it in.**  
><strong>Im guessing a lot of you are all like 'THEY KISSED! YES MY OTP WENT CANON!'- actually I hardly doubt the last part but anyway I just want to know who wants Oliver and Rue to get together? I think theyre going to be a super cute couple.<strong>

**A big thanks to all who have reviewed this so far! and dont forget to check out the blog: .com!**

**THANKS FOR READING GUYS!**


	20. Expectations

**"Expectations"**

****"So, are we still going to the first task together?"

I looked up at Fred as we walked to breakfast; his question was one I wanted to avoid until next week, the same week as the first task. After Fred and I got into that argument and I figured we weren't going together anymore I decided to go with Erik and his sister along with Vanessa and Luna. This normally would have had a quick solution, just invite Fred along with us, but that may be a bit harder taking in consideration that Erik was going to be there.

"Well actually I made plans with some friends a few days ago, when we weren't talking," I explained, trying to avoid the total truth.

His face fell in somewhat and he quickly looked away to try to hide his disappointment, "Oh."

Feeling guilty, I placed my hand on his upper arm, "You can join us if you want; I never said you couldn't come. George and Emily can sit with us too."

"If you insist, I suppose I will give into peer pressure. But only this one time!" he pointed an accusing finger at me and I rolled my eyes, "So who exactly is going?"

I paused, trying to find out how to phrase this, "Oh, you know, Vanessa and Rue. Probably Luna Lovegood with a few others."

We started to near the stairs that ascended into the front hall and I felt my pace quicken in desperation for a change in subject or just to stop talking in general. We haven't even been officially 'together' for 24 hours, I would hate for there to be problems already.

"Sounds like a party."

"Oh, it will be."

A couple steps before the staircase Fred grabbed my hand and lead me down it, as if this was now the official sign of us going steady. Instead of going straight to the large wooden doors of the Great Hall he pulled me over to the side of the bottom of the stairs.

"Speaking of parties," He stated, leaning against the banister and still holding my hand, "if either Diggory or Potter wins next weekend their house will be throwing a party in their common room, would you like to go with me?"

Without much warning I felt a smile break its way onto my face, the thought of an actual party excited me, especially if I'm going to attend one with Fred. Who knows what trouble he's going to get into?

"I most definitely will."

Fred's usual smirk grew into a smile much like my own and he kissed my cheek. "Great, and before I forget, are we still on for Hogsmeade this weekend?"

"Of course we are. I haven't been there in a while so I might need a bit of a refresher of where the best places to hang out are," I replied, moving closer to him so I was standing in the gap between his long legs.

Fred wrapped his arms around me keeping me in place, "I will show you everything you'll want to see Ella, trust me." Heat rose to my face as I felt myself blush and look away causing Fred to let out a hearty chuckle, "You look cute when you blush like that."

I glanced back at him and he took this as a chance to kiss me.

"Weasley, Martens, I would very much appreciate it if you would entangle yourselves from each other in the hallway, for the sake of others and myself." I quickly pulled back at the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice, feeling the blush intensify.

"Yes Professor," I replied quietly as she walked away and into the hall, Fred not even changing his facial expression or pose from before. Still feeling embarrassed I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, which thankfully there wasn't a lot of people outside of the Great Hall. Turning back to Fred I removed his hands from my waist, "Let's get some breakfast, shall we?"

I walked alone through the halls later that day heading to my double Charms. It felt weird not having anyone by my side, no Emily who was in Potions with Fred, no Vanessa who didn't take the same Charms class as I, and Rue was busy in her O.W.L. prep classes.

I walked past a conjoining staircase and quickly turned down it, following the stream of students cascading down it. I got to the first landing when I saw someone familiar pass. He quickly turned back around and pulled me over to the side.

"Ella! Vhere is the library again?"

I couldn't help but smirk knowing that my tour of Hogwarts didn't really help much. "You were going the right way Cyrus, just up those stairs and to your right, all the way down the end of the hall. It's the set of double doors at the end."

Relief washed over him and he let out a large breath. "I thought I vas going the right vay but everything in this school looks the same."

"Hey it's no problem, it definitely takes some adjusting to get used to it."

Cyrus only nodded, looking up the rest of the staircase before back down at me, "Are you still going to the First Task with us next veek? Erik said he hasn't confirmed it vith you yet." Great, another conversation I didn't feel like getting into. Twice in a row this happened, I feel that today will not be a good one.

"Well I still am but is it okay if I bring Fred along with me?" I asked shyly, wanting to hurry up the conversation so I could get to my next class.

Cyrus knitted his eyebrows in confusion and was silent for a moment as if he had to process this new information. "Fred? Isn't he the one you had the fight vith and then you never vanted to talk to him again?"

"Ah, so you have been paying attention when I vent to you," I inquired, pointing an accusing finger at him. For some reason Cyrus always seemed like the easiest one to talk to out of Erik's friends, besides his sister Mila. Some of the things I told them Erik and Markus only knew about vaguely. Cyrus just merely nodded, "Well we talked it over and now we're a little more than just friends."

I could tell this piece of information through him for a loop as he fell once again into the same state he was previously in. I could almost hear the gears turning inside his head. "Vell, it vas merely a matter of time before it happened. I've got to get going, I'll see you this veekend, alright Ella?"

Cyrus turned around and started to hurdle up the staircase as I made my way down the rest of the length, following behind a few stragglers that were hurrying to catch their next class. As I walked down the hall a thought popped into my head, everyone had always expected Fred and I to get together. Rue did, Vanessa did, and Emily and George did, and now even Cyrus. These people all wanted us to go out but they really didn't do anything to help the cause.

**I wasn't really sure where I was going with this chapter, just tying up some loose ends. I think I'm going to skip to the Hogsmeade trip for the next chapter...**

**QUICK QUESTION:Do you feel I'm writing Fred's character well? I want your honest opinion because now that he's becoming an even more major part of this story I don't want him to be all wrong, you know?**

**oh and, Sorry for the lousy update, school started last Tuesday and I've been crazy busy with that, and I'm also on my schools dance team and soon I will be starting the Fall drama production. I'm a busy girl.  
>Anyway, if you haven't already, which you so totally should, check out the tumblr I made for this story: .com... I started posting little facts about the story on there and I'm still looking for a good theme so yeahh...<br>also a thanks to those who have reviewed, you guys are awesome-saucesome**

**THANKS FOR READING GUYS!**


	21. Breaking Out

**"Breaking Out"**

I took a quick look outside at the cold November midmorning. The autumn wind was whipping the tree branches and scattering the remaining leaves all over the grounds. Plucking my coat from my trunk and looked at the Ravenclaw scarf neatly folded next to it and decided to bring that with me also. I almost left my empty dormitory but a sudden thought came into my head, and I ran back over to my trunk and fished out a small coin purse. Now I was finally set to go to Hogsmeade.

Walking down the dormitory steps I quickly threw my arms into the black jacket and shrugged it into place before breaking out into the common room. Quickly I weaved towards the door where there was a small group of people waiting to get out. I stood patiently knowing that Fred wouldn't mind the delay, it's not like we absolutely needed to be somewhere. I actually didn't even know what we were going to do today. I haven't been to Hogsmeade on about two years, I'm sure much hasn't changed but you never know.

My fellow house mates and I streamed down the spiral staircase with anticipation in our steps. Today we got to be part of the outdoor world for once, not cooped up in school, we could finally be free. As I reached the bottom I started to look around for Fred. Peering over people's heads and walking slowly over to the far side of the hall I couldn't seem to find him anywhere. Out of nowhere I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pulling me into a backwards hug.

I felt my body jump in shock but soon a smile made its way onto my face as I heard Fred whisper in my ear, "Ready to go love?" I knew it was him all along, it was pretty obvious, but for some reason I just couldn't help my body from going into a slight shock.

I looked up and back at Fred, noticing he now had on a knit hat with the earflaps and long braided tails attached to them. His long hair was sticking out from underneath it and I couldn't help but smile at how cute he looked in it. Turning around I grabbed the braids in between my fingertips, "I'm liking the hat."

"Why thank you, I figured you would." Fred grabbed my hand and quickly looked around the still busy hallway before his eyes circled back to mine, "So, you ready to go?"

"Yup!"

We started down the hallway, but instead of turning towards the stairs we continued straight, entering another long hall. I looked up at him curiously but he still looked ahead without the slightest sign of mistake in his facial features. I shrugged it off, figuring that we were maybe going to meet up with George or Lee or someone. It was strange, the silence that fell between us. Fred always had something to talk about, but right now he seemed absolutely focused on where we were headed, so I just left the silence where it was.

We sung around a corner and down a short staircase entering another hall. Fred's pace slowed and then halted in front of a statue of a very ugly witch sporting one eye and a large hump situated on her back.

I raised my eyebrows at him and crossed my arms over my chest as he looked up and down the hallway, waiting for some kind of explanation. When he didn't give one I simply tapped his shoulder. "What are you doing? I thought you were taking me to Hogsmeade?"

He only smirked, "Oh, but my fine lady, we are going to Hogsmeade. We're just taking a shortcut that's all."

"You mean we're breaking out of the school even though we could just walk out of the front door?"

Fred looked at me and pouted, "You know, I really thought that you would enjoy this, but I guess I was wrong."

"But I don't even know what this is exactly!" I exclaimed, my hands flying out in front of me.

"Go down to the end of the hall," He turned me around so I was facing the other end of the hallway, "and check to see if anyone's coming. When you come back I'll show you why we aren't using the front doors, yeah?"

"Alright," I agreed while walking away.

I walked halfway down the rest of the corridor before turning around to glance at Fred. He just waved me on so I continued. Stopping at the end I looked right and listened, nothing was coming. I looked left, stopped and listened to the same silence that the right held, then right once more. The coast was clear. Looking left once more I lifted my arm and jutted my thumb out, giving Fred the A-OK.

I heard him quietly say something and I turned around to walk back. Instantly I noticed the witches hump had moved, revealing a hole that opened up inside the statue. Quickly I hurried back, not knowing what exactly was inside the hole, but knowing that if we got caught it would lead to serious trouble.

"So, what's this?"

"What's this?" Fred repeated. "What's this you ask? Well, this right here is one of the many secret passageways that lead out of Hogwarts, this one in particular ends in the basement of Honeydukes."

"And that's how we're getting into Hogsmeade isn't?" I asked, already knowing what his answer was going to be.

"Precisely." Fred gestured to the entrance, "Ladies first."

I quickly looked around making sure no one was around before I climbed up the witch. Peering into the hole at the top I noticed that a slide led to a pit of blackness and I instantly felt my heart start to race and an uneasy feeling rushed through me. Quickly I looked back at Fred, "It's really dark down there, how are we going to see?"

"There's a wooden torch at the bottom that I will light when I get down there. Go on, there's nothing in there, I promise." Fred gave me a reassuring smile and I nodded before looking back at the opening.

Taking in a deep breath I slid down, feet first. Feeling the dirt floor beneath me I got to my feet and looked back up the hole to see Fred starting to climb in, shutting the hump behind him. Complete darkness filled my vision and I stood immobile as Fred looked around for the torch. A cold shiver ran up my spine and I wrapped my arms tightly around the front of my body in effort to stay warm.

"Ahh here it is… Incendio!" Bright flames suddenly erupted and Fred's face was light up. He was holding a wooden club that was burning bluish at the opposite end he was holding on to. Lifting in front of him I got a good look at our surroundings. "I told you nothing was down here."

The walls were made of old stone, held together by the pressure from the earth and school above it. The floor was just as I suspected it, completely comprised of dirt. The walls went on to form a tunnel that quickly faded into the unknown.

"Well then, ready to go now?"

Looking back at Fred I threw my scarf around my neck and took the free hand he had extended. "Sure, why not."

We started walking down the path before us and soon Fred had started to tell me all about the wonderful things Hogsmeade had to offer; Honeydukes amazing range of sweets, anything you could possibly imagine could be found there according to him. Then there was Three Broomsticks, a popular pub amongst both staff and students. Of course I already knew this but I just continued to let him talk, I didn't mind hearing his voice. Then he spent a good twenty minutes talking about his absolute favorite store, Zonko's joke shop, and how he and George get a discount due to their loyalty over the years.

"Is there anything particular you need to get while we're at Hogsmeade today?" He asked, looking down at me.

I shook my head, "Not that I know of, why?"

"Well," Fred slowed his pace, "Because those stairs right in front of us lead up to the basement underneath Honeydukes."

Looking forward I noticed the tunnel had stopped and a set of old wooden stairs led up to a slab of wood flooring. Fred slid the torch into an old iron holder that was bolted to a support beam and started up the staircase, I followed close behind quietly.

He pulled off his hat and pressed an ear to the wooden plank above his head. Fred looked back at me and waved me forward then lifted the floor up, revealing a bright room. I blinked rapidly; my eye's aching from the quick change in lighting. Hastily we both darted out from the tunnel; Fred gently closed the entrance to the secret passage and joined me by a stack of wooden crates resting by a staircase that lead up to the main shop. The sound of the customer's feet echoed above us as a bell distantly tingled, signifying either new customers or assuring that previous ones were leaving.

Fred grabbed my hand as he cautiously made his way up the staircase, going slowly as he dared, hoping it wouldn't creak. Once we got within eyesight of the main floor we stopped, waiting until the old witch behind the counter left. She did so with in a couple of minutes, looking very disgruntled and pulling her wand out of her aprons pocket.

"Here's our chance, let's go." Quickly we ran up the remaining steps, ducking behind the counter to remain hidden. Slowly we stood straight up, as soon as we were a safe distance away.

"Welcome to Honeydukes Sweet Shop." Fred gestured to the large room before us, the isles and countless displays of toffees, sweets, chocolates, you name it. Along the walls there were shelves upon shelves of various treats, the whole interior being doused in a turquoise blue paint. It hasn't changed much since the last time I was there; I was looking at it with familiar eyes.

**Sorry for the long wait for this update... I've had crazy practices for my schools dance team over the past few weeks. Last Friday was our Homecoming game so that means our last dance thankfully, no more practice! **

**This chapter was originally going to be much longer but I decided to split it into two separate chapters just so I could update this one sooner.**

**A big thanks to those who have reviewed this story and are following it! You guys are awesome! Remember if theres anything that you think this story needs to be added to it, even ideas you have to add to the plot, don't be afraid to comment or send me a message :)**

**Also: Dont be afraid to check out the story's blog: .com, its really cute and still looking for a good theme!**

******THANKS FOR READING GUYS!******


	22. Sweets for My Sweet

**"Sweets for My Sweet"**

"Well, where should we start?" I asked, curiously glancing at the small amount of students who have already started to gather in the popular shop.

"It all depends on what you want. Most of the magical sweets are in the front while the 'normal' stuff is near the back." He pointed to the back of the store and I decided that that was where I was going to start.

As soon as we distanced ourselves away from the fidgety energy in the front of the store I started to see what exactly this Honeydukes had to offer. Walking down the aisle closest to me, I started to take inventory. They had plenty of hard candies, the usual butterscotch and peppermint, practically any nut or berry covered in some flavor of chocolate, and the largest arrangement of muggle jellybean's I've ever seen against the opposing wall; row after row of boxes filled with beans of every flavor and color of the rainbow. Turning right, farther into the store, the shelves seemed to have developed in a chocolate wonderland.

Dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, raspberry chocolate, the selection seemed endless. Chocolate covered caramels, peanut butter and chocolate, cherry cordials, truffles, peanut clusters, turtles, chocolate covered pretzels, you name it and I bet you that you could find it here.

Grabbing a small paper bag off a near-by rack I walked up to a box of milk chocolate covered caramels and started to fill it up using the provided shovel.

"So what do you have planned for today?" I asked Fred curiously as he studied the labels of the surrounding boxes of sweets.

He just merely shrugged, "I was thinking we could walk around the streets for a little while, you know looking at the shops and what not, then maybe heading over to Madame Puddifoots for lunch-"

I interrupted him before he could continue, "Madame Puddifoots? Isn't that the tea shop that vomits confetti and glitter all over its customers while they get suffocated by the obnoxious perfumes that it emits?"

"Well yeah," Fred's freckled face was now dusted in a light pink blush, "I figured that's the kind of place that girls like going too…"

I raised one of my eyebrows at him, trying to hold back the smirk threatening its way onto my face. "That's where girls who actually like tea and being drowned in glitter go, the kind who are total prats to their boyfriends and drag them along with them everywhere regardless of if they want to go or not. Do you honestly think of me as being one of those?" It took all I could not to burst out in laughter.

He opened his mouth, "Emily and George are going."

"My point exactly. See, you've gotta start thinking of me as more than just a girl, think of me as a person. I would never drag you to a place that I know you will hate, that's stupid. Especially since neither of us really likes it anyway."

Fred smiled and pulled me into a hug, putting his arms around my waist. "You know this is the exact reason why we're dating, you are the utmost coolest girl in the world."

"Oh yeah," I asked, beaming up at him, "Is that the only reason why you even considered dating me? It's because I'm cool?"

He chuckled and slightly shook his head, "Oh no, there's a whole list of reasons. I'll write one up and give it to you for Christmas."

Soon we were heading towards the cashiers counter for check out, the same on that we hid behind earlier. The stores population seemed to grow larger since we first arrived; the majority of students had seemed to reach Hogsmeade by now and were filling into their favorite shops.

We go into the short queue and Fred looked down at me, his arms supporting the bags of various sweets against his chest. "Well," he said, "Since my plans seemed to have been thrown away, what do you have in mind?"

I shrugged my shoulders and turned my head to look out at the busy street through the display windows. "Well we could go to that one pub that everyone talks about…"

"Three Broomsticks?" Fred asked, I nodded my head in confirmation, "That sounds like a great idea."

"It doesn't puke confetti everywhere does it?" I asked in a teasing manner.

Fred smiled and shook his head, "As far as I know it doesn't."

We now became next in line to pay and I decided now would be a good time to take out my small coin pouch. Picking it out of my coats pocket Fred stopped my hands from opening it.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I looked up at him confused, "Getting out 20 sickles…?"

"No you're not," Fred replied. He then proceeded to take my bag of chocolates, and another one full of Blood Lollipops, right out of my hands, "You aren't buying anything."

"Fred," I started to protest. When we started to develop our friendship I noticed right away that Fred and George seemed to be very cognizant about how and where they spent the small amount of money they had, a large part of their savings was lost due to carless gambling at the Quidditch World Cup over the summer. "You don't have too-"

He cut me off with a very stern look, "I know I don't have too but I want too. If I'm going to be your boyfriend I've got to be a proper gentleman. Ever since we've met I can tell that you don't take any crap. From _anybody._"

"You're right, I don't take any crap," I smirked, "Keep that in mind Weasley."

Within minutes we broke out on the street now busy street. Cold winds weaved through the crowds, causing me to adjust my scarf and pull on my gloves. It was a grey day and the signs of winter fast approaching were ever present. I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed before the first task.

Fred handed me back my candy as we made our way down the street, walking farther into the small village, "Sweets for my sweet."

Laughing I elbowed his side, "You are so corny."

"Yeah I guess that was a pretty lame joke, but you know you love it, don't lie." He gave me a cheeky smile and I laughed some more. I watched as he opened his own bag, pulling out a small circular hard candy that was light blue and emitting a slight fog. Back in the store Fred told me that these were called Iceberg Mints, a favorite of his. After popping it in his mouth he let out a deep breath, one that was heavy with white mist and small crystals, it was something I have never seen before.

"That's brilliant!" I exclaimed, somehow managing to keep my vision trained on him while also maneuvering through traffic.

"You think that's cool watch this," He said, hints of amusement flaring up in his voice. He popped another mint in his mouth then blew out a frosty breath, aimed at the back of his out stretched hand. Instantly small crystals formed all over the exposed skin binding together and making a tight case of ice that quickly shattered into pieces only moments later.

"That's really neat! I have never seen something like that before!"

"Here," Fred thrust the opened bag at me, "Try one."

Accepting it with thanks I plucked a small blue mint out and carefully put it in my mouth, not sure how it would feel in the warmth of my mouth. As the mint made contact with my tongue a cold rush traveled down the length of it, seeping into the surrounding tissue, making my taste buds feel like they had gaping holes in them. As the sweet melted it made my entire tongue feel numb and foreign. Opening my mouth I blew a misty breath out into the cold air, the same foggy white that Fred's was.

"Interesting ain't it?" Fred remarked as an ever present smirk was plastered on his face. "George can get the fog to blow out of his nose but he doesn't like too because he says it hurts and rips all his nose hairs out."

"Thanks for that visual."

"Any time."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me farther into Hogsmeade.

**Sorry this chapter was so short, it should have been longer for the amount of time that I was gone but I was really busy these last couple of weeks. There was originally more that was written out on paper but I wanted to give you guys a little something to keep you interested in the story.**

**Anyway, what do you guys think so far? Hows it going, am I doing a swell job? Don't be afraid to leave comments about the story or things you would like to happen and all that good stuff! With in the next five or so chapters something major is going to happen so be prepared! And also a big thanks to those who have commented so far! You're great!**

**If you were wondering the reason I haven't updated is because I've been busy with our school play The Crucible, but now thats all over with and I have tons and tons of free time!**

**Also: Dont be afraid to check out the story's blog: .com, its really cute and still looking for a good theme!**

******THANKS FOR READING GUYS!******


	23. Blood Traitor

**"Blood Traitor"**

After shuffling through the crowds and shouting greetings at people we knew, Fred eventually pulled me in the direction of a shop whose exterior was almost identical to Honeydukes. The sign that hung over the street was old and slightly faded but the word "Gladrag's" was still clearly visible.

"Let's go in here," Fred said, nodding his head in the direction of the door, "I think you'll like it." My cold fingers thanked him.

As the door was pushed open a small bell jingled above us, one similar to the one we heard at the Sweet Shop. Racks of clothing were organized through the small store sporadically as many of Hogwarts students browsed through them, the majority of them being witches. Soft music played faintly through the shop adding a comfortable element to it all.

"I remember this place!" I exclaimed as I started walking along the front of the store, my eyes scanning over everything. Walking up to the closest rack I started to flip through the arrangement of various shirts.

"So you have been here before?" Fred asked nonchalantly, resting his arm on the rod that the shirts were suspended upon.

"Yeah, I have, just not in a while."

His eyebrows knitted together as I spotted a horrid looking blouse in the midst of tops. It was a mustard yellow color with a large cat face on the front and frilly lace around the hems. I quickly flipped on as Fred replied. "Why's that?"

"Well," deciding I've had enough of that rack I moved on to the one to my left that was full of an assortment of gowns. "Last year was O.W.L. year and that really made me nervous. My fourth year I was sick quite often and never had the opportunity to go."

"Well don't expect to be staying in the castle on Hogsmeade days because I'm taking you out to every single one of them, even if I have to drag you out of the castle."

I momentarily stopped browsing through the dresses and gazed haughtily at Fred, popping up one of my eyebrows. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

"Both."

I continued to sort through the dresses, dismissing Fred's comment. A new rush of excitement and belonging ran through me; the thought of being taken out for every Hogsmeade trip was exhilarating, and even more so that Fred will be the one accompanying me.

"So what are you looking for exactly? Anything specific?" He asked only moments later.

I shrugged, not really sure of what I wanted myself, "Nothing really, whatever catches my eye I guess." My fingers pushed the hanger of a long sliver gown out of the way.

"Oh, I thought you were looking for a dress for the Yule Ball. I wasn't sure if the whole dress thing was a supposed to be a surprise, you know like in weddings, yeah?"

I laughed, shaking my head as the thought of teenage girls fretting over keeping their ball gowns a secret popped into my mind. "Not that I know of, no. Unless well, you want it to be one? I already got my dress you know."

"You do?" I could hear the surprise in his voice as I continued leafing through the clothes. "Well in that case don't bother showing me what it looks like, I want to be surprised."

Nodding my head I looked at him and smiled, "Deal."

We started to meander around the remaining portion of the store, laughing at disastrous articles of clothing, including a long skirt patterned with the pictures of various potions and an acid green corduroy jacket with a flashy arrangement of bright flowers and buttons scattered on its sleeves. Just as my stomach started to ache for food we somehow wound up in the back, right in front of the jewelry counter.

I scanned over all the odd and unique bracelets, rings, and earrings, all displayed on hooks and in small cases. Suddenly my eyes were attracted to the necklace that were all hidden behind a glass countertop. Out of all accessories I have to say necklaces were my favorite. One caught my eye particularly; it was a long silver chained necklace with a crystal pendant. The uppermost part was small and was widening as it met the other half barely a quarter of the way down. The second half was about 3/4th's of the gem and came to a point at the bottom.

"You like it?" The middle aged witch who was standing behind the counter asked, noticing my interested gaze, her Scottish accent thick and native. She had porcelain skin and dark hair, well-manicured fingernails and a slightly upturned nose. Dressed in what I assumed was the latest trend, she had a friendly, yet had a superficial aurora about her.

"Yeah, it's really nice."

"It's a pascaltia crystal. Watch what happens when I touch it." She opened the side portion of the counter and reached in. As soon as her slender fingers touched the chain the pendant burst with color, a light blue to be exact. Strangely enough none of it seemed to penetrate farther than inside the crystal, as if the color was kept contained within the confines of the gem. By the time she had lifted the necklace from behind the glass the light blue had turned into a pale pink.

"What did you say it was called again?" Fred asked curiously from my side, looking as intrigued with the necklace as I was. "The pendant I mean."

"Pascaltia," she replied, her lips cracking into a sugary smile as soon as her blue eyes were laid upon Fred. I instantly felt the ugly green head of jealousy butt its way into my chest but I pushed it down and remained silent, watching.

"Isn't that a rare good luck charm? They've only found it in remote places of Africa right?" He seemed bluntly oblivious to the woman's slight attraction towards him, which was only what I expected of him.

"Oh, it is much more than a talisman dear," She chided, shaking her head curtly. By now the gem had merged into a deeper magenta. "It also a symbol for a happy marriage, healthy body and mind and also, good relations with others. This one right here happens to be goblin made too. The gem has only been found deep within the Atlas Mountains."

"And do the colors have any connection to the wearer of the necklace? Is it kind of like a mood ring?" I asked, the necklace interesting me even more. Now for different reasons then when I first looked at it. Before I just liked the way it looked, now I wanted to know what it did.

"Well that's very uncertain; it all depends on who you ask. This crystal is one of the biggest mysteries in the world; no one really knows how the colors work."

Fred and I shared a look of curiosity before he asked, "How much is it?"

"30 galleons, and that's most likely the cheapest it will come."

I shot Fred a threatening glance, one that silently told him that if he bought that necklace there would be quite a bit of refusal from my side. I can tolerate a bag or two of sweets, but a 30 galleon necklace? I am not one of those girls who expects her boyfriend to buy her everything her heart desires and for him to pay for the bill every single time they go out for dinner.

"How about these?" He pointed to a couple of different necklaces in the glass case to our right. "How much are those?"

With one hasty glance the sales witch sighed, "Anywhere between five to 20 galleons."

My hunger seemed to peak and my eyes darted up to the clock hanging on the wall behind the counter; it would be nearly time for us to meet George and Emily if we stuck to the original plan.

As Fred was about to continue the conversation a couple of young girls came up to the counter asking how much bracelets were. The sales witch gave a forgiving glance to Fred and quickly walked over to tend to the other customers. I took that as a good opportunity to grab Fred and lead him out of the store.

"Well that was a quick exit," He commented as we stepped out into the street and back into the cold day.

Buttoning up my jacket I shrugged, "I just wanted to get you out of there before you bought me something else that's all. Plus I'm starving."

"Oh, you're starving are you?" He teased, his hands digging in his pockets for something. "You know Madam Puddifoot's is right around the corner, we could have gone there for lunch but nope. Now we have to walk all the way across town to Three Broom Sticks."

Smirking I crossed my arms over my chest, "You sound like you actually want to go there."

Fred leaned in, chuckling, "I was only joking." He quickly pecked my lips before continuing on with his sentence. "I've seemed to have forgotten my gloves inside, hold on a second while I go in and grab them, yeah?"

I simply nodded my head as he disappeared back inside. There were a good amount of people roaming through the streets; about the same as before we entered Gladrags. I was watching them all pass before me, looking at all the friendships and couples grouped up together; no one seemed to be alone. There was one couple though that stood out more than the rest, one consisting of a short girl with golden curls and a rugged boy with dark hair walking hand in hand. I smiled to myself as I watched Rue and Oliver walk past me in the direction of Madam Puddifoot's. I will have to ask her how her date went later tonight.

Soon Fred reemerged from the store and we started off down the lane towards the destination of our lunch. He was right; the pub was practically on the other side of town, but it was a trip well worth it, as soon as I walked inside Three Broomsticks, I knew we were in my type of pub. It was a bit crowded but that just added to the cozy and friendly vibe it was giving off. As we walked to the back trying to find a booth Fred waved to the busty barmaid who was refilling a mug with a dark colored substance. To our great surprise it seemed like only moments after we were seated that George and Acorns had somehow found our table. I barely had enough time to look at the small menu that was left on the table.

"Oi, what happened to Madam Puddifoot's?" George asked angrily, looking at his twin.

"I thought we were all supposed to meet there," Emily piped up, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

I looked at Fred for help; I wasn't sure how to tell them that we didn't want to go, I honestly didn't want to hurt their feelings by telling them that their idea for lunch sucked. He simply shrugged, "Ella didn't want to go so I wasn't going to drag her someplace that neither of us wanted to visit."

"So you just weren't going to show up? We made plans this morning," George argued, looking at both of us like we were horrible children. I have never seen him this angry; I've seen Fred angry but never George. He was always calmer.

"When? I wasn't a part of this plan making." Everyone looked at me and sheepish expressions made their ways to their faces as they had just realized what was missing in their expert day planning. Both Emily and Fred fell silent as George apologized. They decided to stay for lunch though and Fred moved into my booth as Emily and George shared the other one.

"So how did you find us exactly?" Fred wondered as we all started looking at the menus.

"Well," Emily started, "We saw you guys walking out of Gladrags together and going in the opposite direction of the tea shop so we followed you."

Fred sighed, "Well I couldn't have expected anything different from the two of you." His head suddenly snapped up and he looked around, his eyes searching the pub for something. We all watched him inquiringly until his eyes stopped and landed on something, or someone, in front of us. Quickly putting down his menu he stood up, "Look who's here Georgie."

George turned around in his seat, looked around for a moment, then stood up much like his brother did. "Sorry ladies,"

"But we've got a bit of business to take care of."

"Do you want anything?" They asked in unison, both looking back at their respective girlfriends. I said, "No thanks," while Emily shook her head rapidly. They both shrugged and walked away, heads held high and shoulders back.

"What was that all about?" Emily asked me, the curiosity inside her practically pouring out.

I just shrugged and unbuttoned my coat, "I have no idea."

"You never really do know what's up with them, you know? It's like; they're always so mysterious all the time. Always planning things with each other, like they have some big secret or something."

My coat slid off the rest of my body. It was almost impossible not to detect some jealousy in her voice and perhaps, though I may have imagined it, a hint of unhappiness. Of course this statement surprised me, for one Fred was quite vocal with me, telling me the synopsis of his latest pranks. He never spilled all the details but he liked to let me know what they did to Snape that day or what hidden treasures they were going to plant for Filch. Another thing that struck me odd is the fact that as close as George and Emily seemed, they obviously weren't.

As if she was pulled out of her own little world Emily's expression abruptly turned serious. "Do you think I'm clingy?"

Yes. I wanted to say that but when you're talking to a friend you never tell the whole truth, so I skirted around the outside of it some. "Well I don't really know what you mean by 'clingy', it's all a matter of perception. What I think is clingy may be the total opposite of what you think."

"I know but," She hesitated and looked over her shoulder quickly before answering, "do you think George thinks I'm clingy?"

Sighing I leaned forward on the table between us, "I honestly don't know, but why don't you two talk about it? It is your relationship after all."

She nodded, some of the apparent worry lifting away, "You're right, I will ask him about it."

The rest of lunch passed wonderfully. As soon as the boys came back we ordered drinks and banter took off, sharing stories, jokes, and gossip between the four of us. The First Task always found its way back into our conversations though, and no one could deny how excited they were about it. The hours seemed to slip away from us and not before long did we get up only to make our way back to the castle.

"We still have to go to Zonko's!" George exclaimed as the door shut behind us, a brisk wind rushing past our warm faces.

"Well of course, it wouldn't be a Hogsmeade trip without it!" Fred agreed, shoving his hat back on again.

Both the twins stood in between Acorns and I and offered their elbows, "Shall we?"

We were about to start off down the street once more but Emily abruptly stopped and pointed to the sky, "Oh look! An owl!"

And right she was. A large screech owl was fluttering down towards us carrying a letter and fighting against the harsh wind. Eventually it landed on a window sill and Fred took the piece of parchment it was holding.

Looking at the front he handed it to me, "It has your name on it."

Confused I looked at the scratched script and sure enough 'Miss. Emily Martens' was written on the front. Quickly I opened it, not knowing why anyone would try to contact me. Pulling the letter out I read the only two words written,

"Blood Traitor."

** Longer chapter this time! So yeah, that last part was the huge piece of crazy plot I've been hyping up. Any thoughts on whats going to happen next?! Tell me what you think about George and Acorns! ****And also a big thanks to those who have commented so far! You're great!**

**Also: Dont be afraid to check out the story's blog: gredandforgestory on tumblr, its really cute and still looking for a good theme! I just now realized that fanfiction has been auto deleting the previous links I've tried to post so I apologize for that! So go check it out now that you actually know what its called!**

**Oh and this story has had over 9,500 views thats crazyyyy! The most views on one single day was 298 in April, lets see if we can beat it!**

******THANKS FOR READING GUYS!******


	24. Good Reputation

**"Good Reputation"**

"We're going to find out what git sent this!" Fred paced in front of the fire, his hands gripping the letter so tightly I thought it would rip in half.

After the letter had arrived I left Hogsmeade early. I felt unsafe; it was obvious the message was meant to be viewed as a threat and the possibility that the sender could be anywhere disturbed me. Fred went back to the castle with me, deciding that it would be better if I wasn't alone. I didn't disagree.

After dinner he took me to the 7th floor, to a room I believe he called The Room of Requirement. I'm not really sure what that means but it looks just how a small common room would; comfy chairs and couches, a warm hearth, and even a small bathroom in the back corner. Now, it was only a matter of time until George and Emily joined us, perhaps along with Rue too if they manage to find her.

Snuggled on the couch with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I warmed up from the cold day. "And how are we going to do that? There's no name on it and none of us recognized the owl. I honestly don't even know what it means."

Fred stopped pacing and put the piece of parchment on the end table next to me, collapsing in the adjacent chair. "Well it obviously has something to do with your blood line; _you_ possibly couldn't have done anything."

"My… my blood line?" The quietness of my own voice even shocked me and my breathing start to become constricted as thoughts flew around inside my head. What would he think of me after he found out?

"Yeah, you know, like pure blood, half blood, that sort of thing. What's your blood line?" He looked at me curiously, hunched forward with his elbows resting upon his jean-clad knees.

My mouth started to become dry and I tried to swallow some saliva to revive it but it seemed that for once my mouth was bone-dry. "Well um… I am… uh…"

Fred's eyebrows knitted together, "Do you not know?" I had always imagined this moment to be much harsher, as he would mock me for my very ignorance, but the softness in his voice came as a pleasant surprise.

Feeling embarrassed I simply looked at the worn couch cushion under me as I shook my head no. I know what he must be thinking of right now, _'how can she not know?'_, and I felt hot tears starting to form but blinking a few times I pushed them away.

That was one thing that drove me crazy, the fact that I have to cry at everything. Sometimes I'm not even that sad, like now, and tears just start to well up and I really don't feel like I have to cry but there they go, getting ready to spill out of my eyes. It made me seem weak, fragile, and over emotional, all the things I strive to stray away from. I understand that crying is a healthy but sometimes it's like 'seriously, get a grip Emily!' And right now was definitely not the time for crying.

I felt his warm hand rest upon mine and looked up as he asked, "How come?"

Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes, preparing myself to give away one of my biggest secrets while trying to shut out the threatening tears. "My… my parents died in a house fire when I was about one, the only reason why I'm still alive is because my Aunt Bea had me for the night; it was my parent's anniversary the night they died.

"I was raised muggle born, since Bea wasn't a witch, and when McGonagall came to our flat right after my eleventh birthday-"

"Wait," Fred interrupted, "McGonagall came to explain it to you?"

"Yeah, isn't that what's supposed to happen?" I asked confused on why he sounded so astonished.

"Well yes but usually they send some bloke from the Ministry."

"Really?" I asked, not sure if he was just trying to mess with me in order to lighten the mood or not.

Fred nodded in response then told me to carry on with my story.

"Anyway, McGonagall explained to us about the whole wizarding world and what not and Aunt Bea didn't seem to be phased by any of it. I was completely gobsmacked of course, but she seemed like she had been expecting it. That's why I'm not really sure; my parents could have easily been ordinary muggles or pure blooded wizards."

He looked at me processing all that information. I stared back, waiting for him to say something, anything. Finally, with his eyebrows knitted together, he spoke, "Why don't you just ask your Aunt about it, I'm sure she knows?"

A small, sad smile pressed itself on my lips, "You don't think I've tried that already? Every time I try she somehow manages to change the subject."

"Are you serious?" He asked me, "Why would she do that?"

I slowly shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. It was complicated, the whole ordeal, but it was just something I had to push to the back of my mind. Before we could carry on with our conversation the door creaked open catching our attention.

"We're here!" Emily exclaimed, dragging George into the room after her, Rue and Vanessa following silently behind.

Fred stood up, throwing his hands in the air, "Finally!"

"Hey guys," I watched as they all filed in, too lazy and comfortable to get up off the couch.

Rue rushed over and pulled me into a hug as soon as she could. "Oh my god Em, Acorns told me everything, I am so sorry."

"Hey," hugging her back I relaxed, "This is the best thing that's happened to me. Now I might actually get some answers."

She pulled back and smiled, nodding her head, "Yeah, I guess it is."

After she took a seat next to me on the couch George, who had settled himself on a nearby chair, clapped his hands together. "Alright, now what exactly are we here to discuss?"

"Well," Fred looked at me, "Do you want to explain?"

I nodded in agreement, "Sure, why not."

As he settled back into his previous chair I started in on a brief description on the letter and my parents, filling in the blanks for them. I went through the house fire and all the way up to how my Aunt Bea doesn't tell me a thing. Of course both Emily and Rue knew this already, but George didn't, and it wouldn't hurt to review what we already know.

"Okay, so now what?" Emily asked, pulling out a small bag of acorns out of the pocket on the front of her bright pink jumper. The room fell quiet and we all looked at each other, waiting for someone to come up with an idea.

"Well, what if we started by looking up more information about your parents?" George offered. "This obviously has something to do with your blood line."

We all agreed then Rue added, "That would be a good start. We can check the school's old records to see if they attended here or not."

Suddenly everyone's eyes landed on me, waiting for confirmation. It may be such a little task but this could make a huge difference to me. Finding out more about my parents on my own was something I should have done years ago, so why didn't I? Perhaps it's because of Aunt Bea's reaction that made me shy away from the topic for so long. Well starting today that wasn't going to happen any longer, I am going to demand answers and I am most definitely going to get them.

"Sounds like a great idea; I can search the library tomorrow." A smile found its way upon my lips and I couldn't help feeling giddy. What if I found something important?

For about an hour more we threw around some more ideas between the six of us. A few of the reoccurring ones were 'What if it was meant for someone else?' and 'What if a dangerous enemy sent it?" Before anyone had come up with a good explanation, curfew was fast approaching and it was time to head back to our common rooms before we faced the wrath of Filch. George and Emily were amongst the first to leave, then Vanessa along with Rue. It was just me and Fred left alone once more.

He stood up and stretched, the hem of his blue t-shirt lifting up and exposing some of his pale skin. After a brief yawn he looked at me, "Well love, ready to get back to the Ravenclaw Tower?"

Groaning I threw my head back and pulled the blanket around me tighter, "I'm so comfortable though."

"Well either we can go now or end up risking our good reputations by getting a detention with Filch. Your choice."

Smirking I shook my head, "Since when do you have a good reputation?"

A lopsided grin appeared on his face and he crouched down in front of me, "Sounds like somebody just wants to stay here."

"Why can't I? Tomorrow's Sunday any way, besides both Rue and Vanessa know where I am."

Fred sighed, obviously giving up, "If you're going to stay here you're not staying alone, alright?"

"Of course not!" A large smile appeared on my face as Fred got up and plopped down on the couch, right next to my feet. Moving to sit next to him I snuggled against his side, my voice just above a whisper, "Thank you for offering to stay with me though."

His arm wrapped around my shoulders and held me securely into place, "I didn't really see any other volunteers so I thought I'd just offer. You know, just so you didn't get disappointed that no one wanted to stay with you."

Instead of answering back I stared into the slowly dying fire, where weak flames were now licking well burnt logs. Fred didn't push the conversation any farther and my mind started to drift off. The first thing I thought of was my parents. Though Bea didn't really tell me anything about them she did show me pictures of what they looked like. Bea was going to give them a scrapbook she had put together as an anniversary gift, but my parents died before she could give it to them so instead she kept it in their memory. According to my aunt, it was their three year anniversary they were celebrating, so she had a substantial amount of pictures saved up from my parents wedding to when I was a newborn in Hospital.

I remember when I was a little girl, before I really knew about magic and Hogwarts and Harry Potter, there were nights when I would take the scrapbook from the sitting room back to my bed. Hiding under the blankets with a torch in my hands, I flipped through the pages over and over again, my young imagination going into hyper-drive. I used to try and imagine what my mother's voice sounded like, it was never raspy like Aunt Bea's but always like some sort of queen's voice, soft but strong.

Sophia, my mum, was beautiful. She had the type of hair that would be perfectly tousled without any effort at all. It was long and chestnut brown, contrasting nicely with her heart shaped pale face. For some reason I always got this strange feeling she smelt like lilacs, I'm not really sure why I ever thought that but I guess it's just what seemed logical to a six year old girl.

Oh, and her eyes. They had to be the greenest things I've ever seen. They looked like a well-watered garden, a lush green that only spring time can bring. They were nicely shaped too, like large almonds, with thick, dark lashes, and smoothly arched eyebrows.

Then there was my father, Lucian. His eyes were entirely different than my mother's. To say that they were blue would be an understatement. His eyes were in rings, the most intense iciest pale blue on the outside, then, surrounding the iris like a blanket was dark navy. The rest of his face seemed to compliment them, his sandy hair and gentle eyebrows, light stubble on his jaw line, a permanent smile upon his face.

When I was really young I never noticed but when I got older, about nine years old, I started to see that my father had faint scars upon his face and neck. In all the pictures he was in he never wore short sleeves, ever. I remember seeing a couple photographs of them at the beach and my father was wearing a long sleeved white t-shirt. Whenever I asked Aunt Bea about it she just said that it was because my dad was shy about his body. Of course I believed her at the time; I believed everything she told me about my parents. Then I really started to think about it and the more I did the more it didn't make any sense. Despite all my asking and questions she would never give me a straight answer.

I also used to look at the pictures of me as a baby, right before they died. Those were always at the end of the scrapbook since Bea put it together chronologically. Then, after I looked at every single picture, analyzed every little part of them, I would close the book and put it back where I found it. Every time I would fall asleep and dream of what it would be like if they really were still alive.

"Ella, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Slowly I looked up at Fred; I had been so lost in thought that I forgot he was even there with me. "Oh nothing, I was just thinking about this little scrapbook of my parents I used to look at."

A sad frown appeared on his face and he removed his arm from around me. The fire was almost gone, just the embers were left, glowing peacefully in unison.

"I don't like seeing you like this, it worries me. What can I do to make you happy?" He had placed his hand upon my cheek, and slight pleading expression in his brown eyes. I shrugged in response, not really knowing if there was anything to make this sudden grief disappear. "You know what? I think we should cuddle, I hear that's what girls like to do when their sad. I bet that would me you feel better."

"Cuddling?" I asked him, an eyebrow arched him in disbelief. Out of all things he comes up with cuddling? "That's your solution?"

"Well yeah." He leaned back against the armrest behind him and pulled me into his arms, my back against his torso. Then Fred proceeded to rest his arms on my stomach, gently kissing me on the cheek, burying his face into my neck. "Cuddling, just like this."

Spreading out the blanket so it was over both our legs, I leaned back farther into him, getting comfortable once more. "You know what really makes me happy? Chocolate ice cream."

I heard him chuckle and he removed his face from my neck, "I will keep that in mind."

My eyes found their way back to the fireplace, the ashes just barely glowing. My mind was wondering off, thinking about everything but yet nothing at the same time. Stifling one last yawn I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**Sorry this took so long to update! I was going to post this chapter earlier today but my wifi started to go all crazy on me! I'm pretty sure this is one of my longest chapters though so I hope that makes up for it, plus there's a lot of information regarding Ella in it so I hope you liked it all!**

**Also: Dont be afraid to check out the story's blog: gredandforgestory on tumblr, its really cute and still looking for a good theme! I just now realized that fanfiction has been auto deleting the previous links I've tried to post so I apologize for that! So go check it out now that you actually know what its called! I've been thinking about adding some short stories and drabbles about Fred and Ella's little friendship period, so if you are interested in seeing that let me know!**

******THANKS FOR READING GUYS!******


	25. Bet on It

**"Bet on It"**

The following day I went to the library as I originally intended. Fred decided to go with me since he was almost as curious as I was and having extra help is never a bad thing. We both woke up around nine the next morning, giving us a late start.

I have to admit, it was really awkward waking up next to him, not at all romantic and fluffy like they show in the films. I awoke before he did and didn't know what to do; I had never fallen asleep next to a boy before. It was even stranger to wake up on a bed too! Shortly after I closed my eyes Fred had transfigured the couch into a bed large enough to fit the two of us. Of course I am thankful that he did, my body would have been entirely sore if he hadn't and I could only imagine what his would feel like, since after all I had been using him as a cushion.

So shortly after the awkward wake up, we both headed to breakfast where both Rue and Vanessa doused me with a million questions about last night.

"Please tell me you didn't do anything I wouldn't have. You've been dating for barely a week." Vanessa scolded, but I could see the curiosity in her eyes.

Shaking my head I told them why I didn't come back to the common room the previous night. I said exactly what happened and how it happened, or at least a synopsis of it. I decided to leave out the whole scrapbook part of it since that really wasn't anything they didn't already know.

After a few good hours of searching in the massive Hogwarts library for some kind of hint, Fred and I had called it a day. We barely found anything; the closest we came to actually getting something wasn't even about my parents. It was an article about a house fire on that happened the same night of my mum and dads deaths. It read:

**'Farrar Fire Leaves Muggle Police Confused.'**

Just by looking at the title of it I knew it had nothing to do with them and kept looking.

This cycle repeated throughout the whole week. I was convinced that there had to be something about my parents there and I wasn't going to stop looking until I found it. Fred, George, Emily, and Luna helped me look, Rue and Vanessa too. Even Lee had stopped by once or twice, but I wouldn't really say he was much help. All he did was blabber on and on about how he doesn't have a date to the ball yet and how McGonagall won't let him do commentary for the First Task. Finally I told him to shut up and find someone who cares.

On Saturday we all decided to take the day off from searching, it was the day of the First Task after all and no one wanted to miss that. After lunch that afternoon, Rue, Vanessa and I made our way down to the arena where the event was being held and where we would meet the rest of our group. The weather was similar to how it was last weekend, when we went to Hogsmeade, except today wasn't as windy.

As we passed Hagrid's Hut and turned around the corner, the arena came into full view. Standing tall and strong, the stadium was built with stone and much larger than our quidditch pitch. A furious roar bellowed from somewhere nearby and I began to wonder what the Task really was. Fred had told me it involved dragons. He knew since his older brother Charlie was a dragon tamer and was one of the wizards bringing them in all the way from Romania. Other than that he hasn't told me much though, saying that it was supposed to be a surprise.

Walking up to the queue outside the entrance we looked around to see if we could find any of our friends. I told the Durmstrang boys to meet me down at the arena and the twins told us to meet them down here, leaving us with a large amount of people to find in a short amount of time.

"Bets, place your bets here!"

"Fleur may be pretty, but is she worth you're biding?"

"And is the Durmstrang Champion really where it's happenin'?"

"But Cedric Diggory is much hotter,"

"And there's no one better than Harry Potter!"

Coming into the clearing I smiled, spotting the Weasley twins facing the arena and shouting their chant at passing spectators. George had a wooden case in front of his that had a decent amount of coins inside and a picture of each of the champions on the lid of it.

Smiling and sneaking up behind them I abruptly placed my gloved hands on top of Fred's shoulders and whispered into his ear, "You aren't going gay on me are you?"

"Of course not!" He replied in a flamboyant voice as he turned around and smiled at me, "Oh my gosh where did you get that jacket, its fabulous!"

Laughing I slapped his chest, "Stop being so stereotypical."

"Hey Rue, Oliver is in there going mad looking for you. You might want to find him before he goes mental," George commented as he took money from a young Slytherin boy.

"Where!?" Vanessa answered excitedly, "We are finding this boy!"

"I think he was going to sit by the judge's tent but I'm not sure."

With that little bit of information Vanessa grabbed a very nervous looking Rue by the wrist and dragged her into the arena.

"Bets, place your bets here!" Fred called out once again, trying to get the attention of passing students.

"The prize is this pretty girl!" George called out pointing a finger at me, "And yes, she is housebroken!"

Rolling my eye's I smiled as Fred placed a protective arm around me and pulled into his side. "Trying to sell my girl mate?"

"I'm just trying to appeal to the customers," He lazily gestured to the sea of people still streaming by. "I think this would work a bit better if you took your shirt off. Just a suggestion though."

Both Fred and I looked over at George with incredulous looks upon our faces, "No!"

He chuckled, shaking his head, "I was only joking, you two need to calm down."

"So," I said, breaking the now tense air between the two brothers, "Who should I bet on? I think Krum has a good shot on winning today."

"Wait," The twins said in unison, "You want to bet?"

Shrugging I pulled my wallet out of my coat pocket. I had left it there since the Hogsmeade trip. "Yeah, why not? It seems harmless to me. What's the minimum amount?"

"20 sickles," They answered together.

Digging through the change pouch I managed to pull out a galleon. "Well here's a galleon, who should I put it on Fred?"

"Hmmm," He crossed his arms and stared at the faces of the contestants that were plastered in the case George still was holding. "I reckon Fleur would be too terrified of the dragon to do much and Krum is a bit of an idiot when it comes to anything other than being a keeper. Plus it's always a good idea to root for the home team, so either Diggory or Potter is left. Since Harry is the underdog in this situation, and I happen to support most underdogs, I think you should put it on him."

Nodding I handed over my coin to George, "Ella and Fred bet one galleon for Harry Potter Georgie."

Taking it from me he shook his head in a slight disbelief, "I wish my girlfriend was as cool as you."

"Let me guess," I rolled my eyes, "She doesn't know about this?"

"Not yet anyway."

"Oh no, don't tell me you left her all alone," I groaned. We all know it's not a good idea to leave Emily unattended in public places; she's forgetful and tends to wonder off, a lot.

"No she's fine, last time I checked she was talking to this Sean guy from herbology." There was a slight edge when George said Sean's name but I passed it off since Fred uses the same tone whenever he talks about me and another guy. Their protectiveness must be a Weasley thing.

"Well George," Fred clapped his hands and rubbed them together, "Let's see if we can get anymore bets made inside, it looks like almost everyone is here."

We walked into the arena, a thunder of noise traveling down the hall that led to the stands. The excitement started to build up inside me and I grabbed Fred's hand as we neared the stairs at the end of the hall that will lead us to the inside of the arena. We passed the toilets where few students were chatting loudly and anxiously in anticipation for the First Task.

Soon we reached the stairs and started to climb them, taking two stairs with each step, practically running to the top. A bright light contrasted immensely with the now forgotten dark tunnel as the inside of the arena came into full view. It was a large oval, the seats on the outer edges surrounded it completely, almost every single one was filled with spectators holding signs and sporting colors that supported a Champions school or House. The middle was lowered a great deal, about 50 feet, and was decorated with many large rocks and boulders creating almost a mountainous terrain.

"Bloody hell," The twins said in unison, awe filling their voices. It was a moment you could never forget, all the people, the noise. For a second it seemed we all forgot how dangerous this tournament was and that there was the risk that a Champion could get hurt or even die. That's not what came to mind as we looked at the crowd. What we felt was indescribable.

We could have stared all day, lost in the moment, but suddenly I came back to reality. "Let's find some place to watch the Task."

We took a right, now being led by George through the sea of people. It felt like an eternity until I found some familiar faces.

"Eric!" I yelled as we made our way into the stands, working our way to the top. He was standing at the end of the second to last row with Cyrus, Mila, Markus, and too my surprise Luna and Lee.

After fighting through the crowd I finally managed to make my way over to them.

"There you are! Ve veren't sure if you vere going to find us!" Eric exclaimed. He and Markus were holding up a sign that read: 'He's Krumbelievable!' written on it with Victors face plastered underneath.

"I'm sorry I couldn't track you down any earlier, I'm surprised we even managed to find you now," I replied, now realizing the odds of actually being able to find them. There must be close to two thousand people here.

Suddenly I heard the twin's voice behind me haggling some people to bet and remembered that they were still behind me. Turning back towards Fred I grabbed his arm and pulled him next to me. I hadn't noticed but by now Lee has joined in on the gambling.

"Everyone this is my boyfriend Fred and behind him is his twin George. Fred this is Eric, Markus, Mila, Cyrus, and you already know Luna." I went down the row, pointing to each individual. They were all matching wearing their thick Durmstrang coats.

Fred curtly nodded a slight look of flatness on his face, "Nice to meet all of you." Judging from his reaction I knew that this might not end well so quickly I excused ourselves and pulled Fred to the side.

"What's wrong?"

Fred narrowed his eyes, getting defensive. "Nothing is wrong Ella; I just didn't know we would be sitting with them."

"And is there something wrong with that?" I asked getting frustrated. This shouldn't be a problem between us anymore. "They're nice people you know."

"There's a bunch of nice people in the world darling but that doesn't mean that I have to be friends with them."

"Lee seemed to like them."

"Yeah, well, Lee likes everyone."

"You are being such a stubborn-"

Just then George interrupted us, "Oi Fred, are we going to walk around or not?"

We both looked back at him for a moment and Fred let out a sigh, "Yeah I'll be there in a second, hold on."

Raising my eyebrows impatiently I didn't wait for his response. "So what, now you aren't going to watch the Task with me at all?"

He rolled his eyes, throwing his head back dramatically, "I never said that love. I'm just going to walk around with my mates for a bit and when it starts I will come back."

Letting out a sigh I looked back at him, "Okay." A smile appeared on his face and I couldn't help but return it. No matter what he does, there is no way I can resist his smile.

"Now, let's go back to your friends, kiss, act like the happy couple we are and carry on with our lives alright?" He offered, our faces close and his hands now grabbing both of mine.

**If I would have posted this chapter a month and a half ago I would have written the Yule Ball chapter in time for the Christmas season, but I hadn't thought about that until now and I'm lazy as you guys know. I really wish I could be one of those everyday up-daters that would be cool. Anyway Happy New Year everyone and I hope we all make this a good one! **

**Question: Would you guys mind if I swore in this story? Not like a ton, but I just wanted to know if that was okay with all of you, because I know JK doesn't swear often in the series and I was curious of your guy's opinions. Just write a review or PM me your opinion on the topic!**

**GOOD NEWS! Last chapter you guys set a new record for most views in one day! 351 is the new record, the previous one being 247 or something like that back in April. Plus this stories has had over 10,000 views! THATS CRAZY! A HUGE thank you to everyone who has read this story and all the people who write reviews, you guys are fabulous! **

**Also: Dont be afraid to check out the story's blog: gredandforgestory on tumblr, its really cute and still looking for a good theme! I just now realized that fanfiction has been auto deleting the previous links I've tried to post so I apologize for that! So go check it out now that you actually know what its called! I've been thinking about adding some short stories and drabbles about Fred and Ella's little friendship period, so if you are interested in seeing that let me know!**

******THANKS FOR READING GUYS!******


	26. More Than a Friend

**"More Than a Friend"**

Turns out, Fred has really good luck when it comes to gambling. Harry Potter won the First Task, leaving us to split up the winnings between all that had placed money on Potter, which wasn't very many. Sadly he had a lot of people against him and being only 14 many believed he wouldn't do any better than Fleur.

Also as promised, Fred took me to the party that was being held in the Gryffindor common room. Though it started promptly after the task ended, it wasn't in full sway until after dinner when we arrived. There were tons of students, loud music and plenty of butterbeer for everyone.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room love!" Fred gestured to the scene in front of us. Kids were dancing together in clumps, others just simply messing around, and all were still hyped up on the adrenaline rush from the First Task.

To my surprise though, the Gryffindor common room was much different than the one in the Ravenclaw Tower. Here the walls were concealed in red with murals covering almost every inch, plush couches and chairs encased in worn red velvet were scattered about the room in an unorganized fashion. I was most surprised to see that there was only one, lonely bookshelf tucked away in a corner.

The Ravenclaw common room was practically the opposite. It was drenched in navy blue, the carpet and ceiling printed with a map of the stars, and bookcases lined the walls. Columns made from white marble supported the vast ceiling, similar to the windows that mirrored the columns height and stood proudly in between each bookcase. I was even more astounded that the Gryffindor's only had a painting of Godric Gryffindor on the wall, not a large statue like ours of of Rowena Ravenclaw.

No matter the differences between the two common rooms, Gryffindor still felt welcoming, however cramped and disorganized it may be.

After attempting to look over various people's heads, Fred ducked back down to my level, "Let's see if we can't find George, he has to be here somewhere."

"Oi, Wealsey!" A short boy, probably in his seventh year, pushed his way out of the crowd. His blonde hair was disheveled and his freckled cheeks were dusted with light pink, the mere appearance of him made me almost afraid to take another step forward.

"Oh, how's it going James?" Fred asked politely, putting his arm around my shoulders, "This is my girl, Ella." James looked over at me for the first time with a quick glance. I honestly think that he would have never noticed I was there if Fred didn't introduce me.

"Pleasure to meet you Ella,' He nodded then continued on, "Listen, Lee is in the back by the girl's dormitory entrance. He says he has something for you."

Fred looked momentarily astonished, "Alright, I'll go see him. Thanks for telling me James."

The blonde haired boy disappeared back into mass of students and I looked up at Fred, "What does he have for you?"

Dropping his arm he shrugged, "I'm not really sure but let's find out."

"Look what I got a hold of!" Lee whispered in a hushed excitement as soon as Fred and I approached him outside of the Girl's Dormitory.

It took us a while, Fred passed many friends and acquaintances, but we got there in good time. Both George and Emily were already in the back waiting along with Lee. The four of us gathered closer to Lee as he attempted to pull what seemed like a bottle from underneath his shirt.

"Not here!" Fred whispered urgently, cautiously looking around.

"You want to get us caught?" George asked.

Lastly, speaking in unison they said, "Let's go to our room."

The boys, along with Emily and I, casually made our way up to the Boy's Dormitories, trying to look as casual as possible. Finally, as George closed the door, Lee revealed to us a bottle of a warm brown-colored liquid.

"Firewhiskey, wicked" the twins chorused as identical smiles appeared on their faces.

We weren't technically supposed to have alcohol on school grounds, other than butterbeer on special occasions. None of the teachers strongly enforce the rule and usually turn the other cheek but since we have foreign visitors this year I have a slight feeling that McGonagall would confiscate it in a heartbeat.

Lee uncorked the bottle and walked over to the small tray of goblets set up next to a wardrobe. As he started to fill them Emily spoke up.

"Aren't we not supposed to have that?"

We all looked at her in slight shock for a moment before George answered, "What McGonagall doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Yeah but what if she catches us? We would get in so much trouble!"

We all looked at her again, not exactly sure what her problem was. She was acting as if this was the last thing in the world that she would expect us to be doing. We were dating the Weasley twins for crying out loud! They are the greatest pranksters at Hogwarts, the all-time troublemakers of our generation! What did she expect them to be doing at parties, playing board games and drinking hot chocolate?

"You know you don't have to drink any if you don't want to," Fred offered.

Emily huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "Good because I wasn't planning on it anyway."

The rest of us exchanged similar glances of confusion and Lee continued pouring the rest of the glasses. As soon as he was finished he picked one up for himself and brought another over for George, Fred doing the same for me.

"Want some?" He asked before handing me the goblet.

A strong, unrecognizable scent wafted from the glass and I looked at the light brown mixture. I've never really been a big fan of alcohol but I never was opposed to try something new. "Sure, I'll try it."

"Cheers to Harry Potter!" Lee raised his goblet high in front of us.

We raised our own goblets in the same fashion, smiles upon our faces and said, "Cheers!"

Bringing the cup to my mouth I tilted a little bit in. It burned more than butterbeer and definitely wasn't as sweet but not too horribly bad. I looked at the boy's faces, curious of their reactions, and they all seemed a bit more accustomed to the taste.

Emily stood beside the door as if she was the look-out. "Seriously? You guys are still going to do it?"

"You don't have to stay if it's really bothering you, go enjoy the party," I offered getting slightly annoyed with her attitude.

"We will be down as soon as we finish this," George added after taking another drink.

Emily rolled her eyes, "Fine I'll see you down there I guess." She walked out of the room shouting the door loudly behind her.

"I hope she's not expecting me to chase after her cause I'm not going to," George remarked, sitting down on his trunk.

I took a look around the room while taking another sip. There were only three beds (the twins and Lee had no other roommates), a worn couch and a trunk working as a coffee table/desk with papers strewn across it. The beds were unmade, some clothes had been left on the floor, and it didn't really smell all that great but it wasn't as bad as I would have expected it to be.

"Has this been happening a lot lately?" I asked curious of George's annoyed face.

He shrugged, "We've just been getting in these little arguments here and there but nothing major."

"I say you should dump her," Lee suggested from his bed.

"Just because there's one little thing wrong doesn't mean I should dump her," George replied with a slight edge to his voice. He then turned to me, a worried expression now on his face, "Right?"

"Right." I replied with a curt nod, taking a larger sip of Firewhiskey. I couldn't help but feel some sort of empathy for him, not when he looks at me almost hopeless, using the same expression that Fred would.

"That's why you're still single mate," Fred teased Lee while walking over to the couch. He motioned for him to come join him and I walked over.

"No, I'm single because ladies can't handle this," he gestured to his torso and I couldn't help but laugh as I sat down.

"So how do you like it?" Fred asked me after he threw his arm around my shoulder.

Looking at my half empty glass I shrugged. For the past few minutes I've been drinking it without really paying attention leaving me with no real opinion on the beverage. "It's not bad; the after taste is a bit much though."

"It takes a little time to get used to," he replied with a wink, taking one final sip of his own before setting it down on the 'coffee table'.

"Well lads, ready to get back to the party?" George asked, placing his goblet back on the tray.

"Ella's not finished yet," Fred teased.

Putting down my drink I stood up, "No it's fine; I'm a really slow drinker. I'll just finish it later."

Lee corked the bottle, "Hold up, let me hide the bottle first." After hastily looking about the room he decided to stash it underneath his pillow.

As we were about to walk out the door Fred quickly grabbed George's shoulder, pulling him back.

"We should get the canary creams out! Put on a little demonstration at the party to get kids interested," He wiggled his eye brows and George's face lit up.

"Good idea! Why didn't I think of that? Hold on Lee," He called out into the hall before running over to his bed and pulling out the suitcase that they kept all their prank materials in.

After gathering a small pouch from within and storing it in his pocket, George put the suitcase back and we were off to the party.

Despite being a bit buzzed, the twins' presentation of the canary creams went well, earning them a good amount of galleons. Soon after George went off to look for Emily and Fred and I started to mingle with others. He introduced me too quite a lot of people, most I don't think I will remember the names of. We even ran into Vanessa and Maura who were both chatting with Lee. After a well spent two hours we finally found a quiet corner for ourselves.

"I was thinking about going upstairs and getting another drink. Do you want to come with me?" Fred asked me as he sat in an armchair and I sat on his lap.

Turning so I could face him more I smiled, "Sure."

It was a small bruise. Stretching my neck to the right I admired it in the mirror. Though it was sore to touch, I still smiled at the thought of it and the matching one on my right breast. Putting down my hair brush I picked up a small bottle of liquid foundation and a small triangular sponge in hopes to cover it up. It was our little secret, no one else needs to judge us for the things we do behind closed doors.

Just as I started pouring the makeup onto the sponge Vanessa walked in from breakfast, already dressed for the day.

"Hey, I was going to wake you for breakfast this morning but you were out late last night so I figured you would want some rest," Plopping down her bed she looked at me through the mirror, "What are you doing?"

Frozen, with the sponge in my hand, I gently but it down on the table, "Doing my makeup."

I saw her eyes squint as she looked at my reflection in the mirror. "Is that a bruise on your neck?" She asked, getting off of her bed and walking over to me. As she got closer she gasped, "No fucking way! That's a hickey isn't it?!"

Feeling a blush rise to my face I looked away from her shyly. "So, what if it is?"

"Oh my god. You guys totally snogged last night, like a proper one, alone… in his room!" In frenzy Vanessa started making odd hand gestures, a peculiar habit of hers when she gets too excited about something.

Throwing my hands up I laughed, "Okay, so we snogged! Is that a crime?"

"Of course not, but you did come back pretty late last night…"

I looked Vanessa in the eyes, cocking an eyebrow, "You honestly think I would be the type of girl to have sex in the Boy's Dormitories? I have more class than that thank you."

She laughed, rolling her eyes, "I was just joking with you Em, calm down." She sauntered back over to her bed and laid down. "So I want **all** the details. How was it? Is he a good kisser?"

All the events from last night flooded back to me and I couldn't stop a smile from appearing on my face even if I wanted too. "Okay so this is what happened…"

_We went back to an empty dorm; Fred shut the door behind us, making sure nobody saw. It was much darker now, as night had fallen, and we only bothered to light a few lamps, basking the room in a dim glow. After retrieving the bottle from under Lee's pillow, Fred poured himself another glass and I sat back down on the couch picking up my abandoned one. _

_"You want me to fill that up for you El?" He asked from across the room. _

_ Looking at my half empty glass I agreed, getting up and bringing it over to him. He took it then pointed over to the corner before topping it off. "Over there, by that shelf, there are a few records. You can pick one out to listen to if you would like."_

_"Alright." _

_I flipped through the vinyl records looking for something that was a bit soft. There was a bunch of punk ones and couple by The Weirdly Sisters, but nothing that was really fitting the mood. Eventually I found an older one from the 70's that would work. As soon as it started playing I smiled to myself pleased with my choice._

_"The Apparition's, classic," Fred commented. Turning around I spotted him waiting for me on the couch. "Our dad gave us that last year, it was one of his favorite bands back in the day. That's one of their best records you know."_

_Walking over I sat down next to him and picked up my goblet, "Really? I didn't know that. Quite frankly I haven't even heard of this band before."_

_Fred shook his head after taking a sip, "That's a disappointment right there. You hear this part_ _playing right now?" The song's acoustic guitar was right in the middle of a short instrumental bridge. Just listening to it I got chills. "That's the musical magic of Hugh MacStamphries, the man's a genius." _

_ I turned my head to look at Fred. There was a peaceful look washed over his face, one of enjoyment and serenity. It was then I felt a small emptiness with in me as I started to realize how much I didn't really know about him. I didn't know that he liked classic rock, or that he even paid much attention to music. I didn't really know much about his family other than there's seven children, all boys except Ginny. I don't think that I even knew what his lucky number was, and everyone has a lucky number. In that moment I wanted to ask him a thousand and one questions, but I couldn't figure out how too. _

_"I didn't know you were into music."_

_He shrugged, setting his goblet on the 'coffee table', "Well sure, how can you not be?"_

_ "So let me get this right," Crossing my legs I looked at him quizzically, posed like Rita Skeeter would be if she was interviewing someone, "You are an ex-reader and now a music enthusiast too? What's next, are you a dragon tamer as well?" _

_ He chuckled, sitting up straighter, "Well my brother Charlie is one so it's highly possible."_

_ Laughing I took my first drink, the bitter taste becoming familiar once again. "Have you ever thought about playing an instrument or something?"_

_ He sighed, moving closer to me on the small, ratty couch, "I've always wanted to play guitar but my parents have never had enough money to buy me one. On top of that I would probably have to take lessons somewhere, which would cost more money."_

_ More questions flamed inside of me as I looked at him and the aggravated look on his face. _

_ "I wish I would have saved the money I lost at the Quidditch World Cup, I probably would have bought a guitar with it and taught myself how to play." Fred's eye's casted down wards in thought as he spoke, regret obviously present._

_ Feeling immensely sorry for him I gathered Fred in a hug. The movement must have shocked him because it took a few seconds longer than usual for him to hug back, but once he did I climbed into his lap and burrowed my face into his neck. _

_ "Thanks Ella." He whispered it into my ear, the gesture putting much more emphasis and meaning into the words than normal, as if he was suddenly relieved and truly thankful._

_ Pulling my head out of his neck I smiled and kissed his cheek, "Any time."_

_ Fred closed the distance between us and kissed me hungrily. I tried my best to match it before he left my mouth, kissing the corner of it and slowly working his way down the front of my neck. I tipped my head back, exposing it entirely to him, my hands starting to weave their way around his own neck. He returned to my mouth, this time the kisses we exchanged were gentler, less demanding than before. _

_Gently biting down on my lip he pulled away resting our foreheads together, eyes closed. The only sounds in the room were the record slowly playing in the background and our breathing, soft and in time with our beating hearts. _

_"I love you," Fred whispered before closing the gap between us once more. His hands slid up the length of my thighs, resting on my hips and pulling me closer to him. His tongue lightly traced along my bottom lip and I parted my lips. As his tongue entered my mouth I lightly licked it, a kissing technique I read in a teen magazine. It was kind of awkward but I just went with it anyway. _

_After a few solid moments of feverish kissing we separated again, needing to catch our breaths. Fred quickly recovered and worked his way down my neck, finding the soft patch of skin right above my collar bone. A small gasp escaped my lips as he began to bite and suck on it, his mouth doing whatever it damn well pleased. My hand clasped the back of his head bringing it closer to me, not wanting it to move away from the bittersweet embrace. _

_A few moments later I felt his fingertips play with the hem of my blouse then rubbing against the soft skin of my lower stomach and eventually grazing up my spine. Fred's lips broke away from my skin. He placed gentle kisses on my collarbone as he started to pull up the shirt, revealing parts of my body that he's never seen before. _

_We quickly discarded my shirt, tossing it on the cushion next to us. His fingertips lightly grazed over the now sensitive skin above my collarbone then glided over my torso slowly, down my chest, over the tops of my breasts, and down to my lower stomach. I watched them as they made their voyage down, suddenly feeling self-conscious._

_"Wow you're beautiful," Fred whispered, looking into my eyes now, catching hints of my insecurity. _

_A blush rose through me as I looked back down at his hands, "Thank you." Suddenly the number of questions soared from a thousand to a billion; how many girls has he said that to before? When was the last time he actually got with a girl? Or the last time he pulled a girl? Or his last girlfriend and who was she? A billion questions, but I held my tongue not wanting to ruin the moment._

_"Why do you call me your 'girl' when introducing me and not as your girlfriend?" I asked quietly, making little eye contact with him._

_"Because you are more than just a friend."_

**Wow has it been a while since I've updated or what?! Super sorry about that guys I've just had midterms and projects to do not to mention play rehearsals almost everyday after school! Crazy right?**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I do believe this is the longest one I have ever posted by a good 500 words or so I think... anyway expect to get longer chapters as I'm hoping to finish this story up in about 10 chapters or so.. then the sequel if I decide to create one... What do you guys think on that?**

**Also: Dont be afraid to check out the story's blog: , its really cute and still looking for a good theme! I just now realized that fanfiction has been auto deleting the previous links I've tried to post so I apologize for that! So go check it out now that you actually know what its called! I've been thinking about adding some short stories and drabbles about Fred and Ella's little friendship period, so if you are interested in seeing that let me know! Plus I will answer any questions, anonymously or not!**

******THANKS FOR READING GUYS!******


	27. What Do You Think of Them?

**"What Do You Think of Them?"**

"Vell, look vho ve have here."

I looked up from my charms book to see Erik taking a seat across from me. Snow was dusted all over his thick fur coat, a clear sign that winter was finally upon us.

"Oh hey! It's finally snowing outside I see." Glancing up at the ceiling of the Great Hall large grey clouds rolled across the sky, filled with winter precipitation.

"Yeah, it feels more like home now. Ve usually already have a few feet of snow this late in the year." He looked down at his hands and slowly removed his thick brown gloves revealing course and calloused skin beneath.

I never really realized how rugged Erik was before until now. His skin was a dusty olive, shadowed with scars. He had a straight but slightly crooked nose and his former stubble was growing thicker into an almost beard. Somehow, between all of that, he still managed to look attractive.

I know I'm Fred's girlfriend but that's the thing, I'm already his. There's nothing wrong with thinking other guys are good looking, I'm sure Fred doesn't think I'm the hottest girl in the world. It's not like I flirt extensively with other guys and lie to Fred and all that shenanigans. Erik's an attractive boy and there's really nothing I can do to change that.

"Usually snowfall starts a bit earlier here. This year has been a bit odd whether wise." Erik nodded, uninterested in what was coming out of my mouth and opting to stare at me with his powerful eyes, so dark they seem almost black, instead.

Shifting uncomfortably under his intense gaze I cleared my throat. "So, do you have a date for the Yule Ball yet?"

Raising his eyebrows Erik had a calculating look cast about his face. After a moment of thought he answered, "No vhy? You got someone in mind for me?"

"Well I have this friend, her name is Vanessa, and I don't think she's going with anyone. She's a really fun girl and I think she shouldn't show up dateless you know? So if maybe you guys met, like later today, you could ask her?"

He sighed, looking down the length of the table in contemplation then back up at me. "I don't know; I'd have to meet her first."

A proud smile pressed it's self onto my lips, "Oh really?! You really wouldn't mind?" He shrugged his shoulders and I squealed, "She's really cool, you'll love her!"

"Well look who it is."

Looking to my left I saw Fred walking towards us all bundle up to go outside. To my pleasure he was wearing that on knit hat I loved so much. He immediately took a seat next to me as soon as he reached the table. I couldn't even get out a hello before he had his lips on mine and his hands cupping my face.

I quickly pushed him away as he held the kiss longer than we usually do when we greet each other. "Fred you know how I feel about PDA."

Brushing his fingers over my cheek he smiled, "I know it's just that I haven't seen you since breakfast."

"Hello Fred," Erik greeted from across the table.

Looking almost shocked, Fred looked over at the Durmstrang boy curiously, "Oh Erik, I didn't see you there. Have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have." Erik stood up, grabbing his gloves off the table, "It vas nice talking to you Ella, but I've gotta go. Marcus is vaiting for me back at the ship."

Slightly offended that he was leaving I half rose, "Well if you have too, but we're still meeting tonight right?"

"Of course, the Front Hall perhaps, before dinner?"

I nodded, "Alright, see you then."

He and Fred exchanged curt nods, I sat back down, and Erik sauntered out of the Great Hall.

As soon as he was a safe distance away Fred asked, "Why are you meeting him tonight?"

Rolling my eyes I refocused to my charms book that was momentarily forgotten. "I'm trying to hook him and Vanessa up for the Yule Ball, relax."

"Oh, does she like him?"

Shrugging I looked back up at Fred, "They don't even know each other but Vanessa really needs a date and he was available."

"Good."

"'Good' what?"

"That you're making sure she's got a date."

"Yeah well… what was up with you going into super boyfriend mode a couple minutes ago?" I asked.

"Super boyfriend mode? What the bloody hell does that mean?" Fred backed away from me hurt.

"Oh come on, you know I don't like a lot of PDA and you practically tried to snog me in front of Erik."

He threw up his hands in outrage, his attempt at staying calm snapping in half, "Erik, Erik, Erik, is that all you fucking talk about anymore?"

Closing my book, I shook my head not even being able to look at him. "God you are such an asshole," I mumbled under my breath, a hint louder than a whisper.

He was quiet and I took this as an opportunity to gather my belongings up, I've been sitting in the Great Hall for over an hour now, I needed a study break. Finally Fred drew in a deep breath.

"I know Ella." Concern flowed through his words and I seriously started to think if he was bi-polar. Calm one moment then a quick spurt of anger, then calm once more, that's not natural. "I'm a git, I should have never said that. I'm sorry darling."

I peered at him out of the corner of my eye, hiding my face from his. "I'm sick of fighting with you about this. We fought last week during the Task and I don't even know how many times before, can we just stop?"

"I thought we did," Fred rested his hand on my shoulder attempting to comfort me.

Hitting his hand away and looking at him for the first time I shook my head. "Obviously not."

"Listen to me El, I'm sorry. I really am, it's just you're my girl you know? And I've never really been good at sharing so I get jealous easily." His brown warm brown eyes were filled with emotion, many different ones all bundled together making it difficult to just name one predominate one. They were so different from Erik's. Here there was no intensity, only warmth. "I promise not to let that get the best of me any longer only if you agree to do the same."

"Me?" I asked astonished that he thought I got jealous. I don't get jealous.

"Yeah you, I see the way you look when I'm talking to Angelina or someone, it's like you want to rip off their head or something."

"I do not!"

"Yeah, you do!"

Blushing I shook my head, "Alright fine, I agree." Okay, so maybe I got a little bit green headed.

Fred pecked my cheek, "Brilliant. After dinner meet me in the empty class room on the fourth floor," He said, standing to his full height and readjusting his hat.

Smiling I nodded, glad things between us were finally going to be back to normal, whatever that may be. "Alright I will. Have fun outside, once I get down with my charms homework I might go out and find you."

He winked at me before walking away, "See you out there."

I never did get a chance to play out in the snow with Fred that day, for some reason it had become impossible to concentrate soon after he left. Either I couldn't stop looking out the window or I would get a whiff of Fred's still lingering scent and my mind would go on a wild tangent, day dreaming about the upcoming ball. I stayed in the Great Hall for an hour more, switching between those three cycles; daydreaming, trying to focus, then looking out the window.

Packing up my things I headed back to the Ravenclaw Tower, knowing that dinner would be starting soon and I still needed to convince Vanessa to meet Erik. What I wasn't aware of is how much of a hassle this task was going to become.

For one she was in the middle of studying for an upcoming Potions Exam, a class that she had been slacking off in as of late. Secondly, she was in no mood to be meeting boys. She had changed from her school robes into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt, an outfit that we both know meant the only way she was moving from her spot was either to get food or because the building caught on fire.

After an half hour of pleading and persuading her to get up and change so we can meet Erik, Vanessa finally agreed, only on one condition, that she didn't have to change her outfit for him.

"I don't see what's wrong with what I'm wearing now; a boy should like you no matter what you're wearing. I bet you if you were dressed like I was right now and went to hang out with Fred he wouldn't dump you because of it. Why does it matter?"

Of course Vanessa hadn't realized how much first impressions mattered. It's sad to think of how much impact they have on our lives but they can really make or break a deal, and right now I needed a deal to be made. So off we went towards the Great Hall, Vanessa in her pajama's and with me having slight second thoughts.

He was right where I expected him to be, waiting in between the front doors and the entrance to the Great Hall. I pointed him out to Vanessa as soon as we started to descend down the stairs.

"That's Erik?" She asked a wisp of disbelief in her tone as he glanced towards us, now aware of our presence, "And why haven't we met before?"

"See, you haven't even talked to him and you already like him. Feel free to thank me any time." She rolled her eyes and we made our way across the busy floor.

As we approached Erik he tilted his head, "Hello ladies."

"Hey Erik, this is Vanessa, the girl I was telling you about."

Vanessa gave him a weak wave and a quiet hello and he captured her free hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it, the same thing he did when we first met a few months ago. "It's very nice to meet you at last."

A smirk spread across my lips as Vanessa's face erupted in a light blush, tinting the slightest against her darken complexion. This was going better than I had ever planned. Not only does she find him attractive but know it seems that he has some kind of appeal towards her. If the tone of the meeting continues then they might be more than just a date to the Yule Ball.

"So, Erik, how do you like England so far?" Vanessa asked a few seconds after she extracted her hand from his grip.

Leaning against the wall he shrugged, "It's so different from home. There it snows almost every day, here it rains. Plus the vomen here are much more beautiful."

"Do you ever get homesick?"

"Occasionally, but my sister came vith me here and my mother often sends letters from home. It's hard to miss someone vhen you are alvays in contact vith them."

Getting bored with the small talk I decided to spice it up a bit, "So the other day in charms we were instructed to find any charm in the book and practice it on a living creature right?" Beside me I could hear Vanessa groan as Erik started to look more interested. "Well guess what this girl next to me did? She picked up a frog and summoned a love charm on it hoping that it was secretly a prince. Then she debated for a solid ten minutes on whether or not she should kiss it!"

"Oh my god, I can't believe you just told him that," Vanessa muttered under her breath, a hand covering her eyes as she ducked her head.

"You kiss frogs?" Erik asked, slightly amused yet very confused by the story.

"No, I didn't kiss the frog. I was just joking around," Vanessa stated clearly, removing her hand ever so slightly from her face.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted the familiar face of Rue waltzing in the dining hall hand in hand with none other than Oliver Wood. Sparking my interest I politely excused myself from Vanessa and Erik's conversation; they were well on their way to becoming good friends/ possible dates to the Ball and didn't need me to chaperone any longer.

Trailing a far enough distance behind Rue and Oliver I observed them as I entered the Hall that was quickly filling with hungry students. They walked over to the Ravenclaw table, completely engrossed in whatever they were talking about. I paused and tried my best to blend in with the wall behind me, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. I felt like I was in the midst of studying the behavior of an exotic animal species in the midst of courting. My job was to do nothing more than observe soundlessly.

A light, possibly pressed, laugh fell from her lips and Rue tucked a blond curl behind her ear. Oliver leaned in closer to her as if he didn't want the conversation to end even though by now they had made it to the table.

"What are you looking at?"

I jumped as the familiar voice filled my ear. Turning around I looked at George with curiosity.

"Hello George. Tell me, what do you see there?" I pointed to my exotic creatures.

"Well it looks as though Rue and Oliver are talking." He replied with an air of plainness in his voice.

"Yes, but what do you think of it?"

"Think of what?"

"Them talking you idiot!"

He shrugged, "It's definitely a different side of Oliver that's for sure. He hardly ever fraternizes with an opposing team."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, boys were completely oblivious. "Well do you know anything about them, like if he likes her?"

He was about to answer my question when a loud voice yelled, "GEORGE HURRY UP!" from the Gryffindor table. We both ducked as an acorn flew in our direction.

"I don't know. Listen, I gotta go but Fred wanted me to remind you that you're meeting tonight in the armor hall, he's not sure which room though."

I nodded and as George quickly started to head towards the Gryffindor table. "Wait!" I shouted after him, "Where is Fred?"

"Getting changed, he'll be down for dinner though."

Thanking him I turned my attention back to my animals. Now it was only Rue sitting alone, seems that their conversation is over. I strolled over to the table and plopped down, ready to hear all the details.

"Hey Em!" Rue greeted, the smile on her face could have radiated beams of sunshine it was that bright.

Perking up an eyebrow I leaned in, "Are my eyes playing tricks on me or were you and Mr. Oliver Wood just holding hands?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "Yes we just were!" A little squeak escaped her lips and words started to burst from her mouth, "HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS GIRLFRIEND AND I SAID YES!"

"Alright!" We exchanged high fives across the table. "I knew he was going to ask you out soon; we've hardly had time to hang out together because you two are always in the library!"

She shrugged, "You and Fred were kind of the same way."

Quickly I made my way up the deserted staircase, skipping over the faulty step and down the labyrinth halls of the fourth floor. Taking a right away from the library I followed the loud voices echoing down the armor lined corridor. Light cascaded out from the stained glass window and I peered inside; Fred was on top of a desk, throwing his arms around in an aloof manner, muffled words pouring noisily out of his mouth directed towards whomever he was with. The provoked smile, the one he always seems to bring upon my face, appeared once more and I slowly opened the door.

"So that now brings me to this next question. Emily, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" Sincerity, integrity, and charm caressed the demeanor of his words, words that were directly spoken to the girl sitting on a desktop on the far side of the room, a girl that wasn't his Emily. It was the Emily that belonged to his brother, a girl named Emily Brown.

My original plan of slipping into the room suddenly escaped me as I felt my chest swell tight and breathe cease. The automatic smile self-destructed. Instantly I began to wonder if I misheard him, that he really didn't say what he had said.

But my hopeful theory was proven wrong as Emily sprang up in joy, clapping her hands, "Yes! Finally!"

The joy in one another's eyes had stirred up the exact opposite in mine and as my eyes started to sting with distraught I quickly tried to close the door on the scene in front of me, before I could hear another word of it. Except, just to my luck, the doors ancient hinges let out an insufferable squeak, one that was truly unmistakable.

In a flash I felt both of their eyes dart to me as I cowered behind the ajar door, and an explosive smile erupted upon Fred's face, making me freeze in place.

"Look, it's just the person I need," He jumped down from the desk and proceeded to saunter over to me, with an impeccable smirk upon his lips. His arrogance, almost aura of victory began to disgust me, and all the pain I had felt moments before started to team up with anger.

Feeling color flood to my face and a restless feeling settle into me, I backed away from the door as he came closer with each step. He must not have known I had just over heard him, he must believe that he can continue playing me like a fool. Then it occurred to me, a thought so powerful it was as if it was delivered by a lightning bolt, did George know anything about this?

"Ella, where are you going?" Fred asked confused as he opened the door. I could see Emily behind him peering at me through curious eyes.

"Listen, if you wanted to break up with me all you had to do was tell me it was over instead of leaving me hanging like this."

His eyes, my favorite shade of brown, grow twice their size, "Break up with you? Wha…?"

The flames of a fire inside started to lick at my chest, fueling my confidence to keep a strong front about this situation, though my insides were near to collapsing. Protectively crossing my arms I let out a frustrated sigh, "Oh come off it, I heard what you said in there. You asked her to the ball."

"What?!" Emily piped up from behind Fred, trying to pry the door open more, "Ask me?"

The, as if some sort of understanding popped into both of their heads, they looked at each other and burst out into laughter. After giving them a few seconds to recover, which they failed, I uncrossed my arms and turned, planning on walking down the hall. I will not tolerate being made a fool then laughed at.

Fred grabbed my arm as I went to leave, "Wait, you don't understand, that's not at all what I was doing."

Rolling my eyes I snatched my arm back, "Then what were you doing?"

"Well I was going to officially ask you to the ball today, but I couldn't figure out a good way to do it, so I asked Acorn's if she could help me out. As friends of course."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me; I just got myself all worked up over this for nothing?"

"Pretty much yeah." Emily nodded her head then flounced back into the empty classroom, becoming uninterested in our conversation.

"I-I…" Never in my life have I ever been so flustered. I had to apologize but I was so filled with embarrassment that I didn't even know where to start.

Fred pulled me into his arms, wrapping them securely around me as he placed a kiss on the top of my head. "Don't worry about, we all make mistakes sometimes."

"I feel so stupid," I muttered into his chest, his scent that I grew so accustomed to welcomed me.

"See you guys tomorrow!" I looked up in time to see Emily walking out of the class room behind us.

"Bye Em, thanks for the help!" Fred said as she embarked down the armor lined hallway. We broke apart from each other and walked into the empty room, shutting the door behind us.

Sitting on top of a desk in the far corner of the room I kicked off my shoes, swinging my suspended feet back and forth. "So, you're going to ask me to the Ball?"

"Yup, but tomorrow. You think you can wait that long?" He walked over to me, pushing up the sleeves of his jumper.

"Why not now?!"

"Because I say so. It's a surprise." He winked at me and smiled back, the same smile I was wearing earlier that day.

**Holy balls! Say hello to the longest chapter yet! I honestly didn't know really where to stop it and I felt guilty for not updating in like 125 years. Good News! The play is over! ANDDDDDDD... The next chapter will be the Yule Ball chapter!**

**Also: Dont be afraid to check out the story's blog: gredandforgestory on tumblr , its really cute and still looking for a good theme! I just now realized that fanfiction has been auto deleting the previous links I've tried to post so I apologize for that! So go check it out now that you actually know what its called! I've been thinking about adding some short stories and drabbles about Fred and Ella's little friendship period, so if you are interested in seeing that let me know! Plus I will answer any questions, anonymously or not!**

******THANKS FOR READING GUYS!******


	28. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING G&F

REGARDING GRED AND FORGE

Hello there readers!

First of all I would like to formally apologize for abandoning Gred and Forge. I feel like for all the loyalty my readers have shown me, this is not a nice way to repay them. I left off on chapter 27 with promises of the Yule Ball and then never delivered the chapter, one that I'm sure would have been a highlight in the story. If it makes you feel any better I didn't even write any of it.

Secondly, for now I will not be updating anytime soon. For a while now I've been wanting to rewrite the story. When I started Gred and Forge it just for fun and a friend of mine wanted me to. I didn't have any organization for the story, all I knew is that it was about me and my friend and the Weasley Twins. Then I thought of the whole plot bit of Emily finding out about her parents. And then I brought in Erik. All of this was happening as I was writing and updating the story. I really had no clue what was going to happen in the chapters or how and when the story will end. That was my mistake.

So now, almost two years after first publishing the story, I am planning to rewrite it. This new story will be planned more thoroughly and hopefully make more sense! A lot has changed since I first started writing Gred and Forge, I'm not even friends with the girl who encouraged me to write it anymore!

The rewrite will not be exactly like the original; it will have a stronger plot and better characters (I hope it does at least). I will not upload the rewrite until I am practically finished with it. This will hopefully give the readers a regular weekly update.

I also left you guys with the promise of a sequel, and as of right now I am honestly not 100% sure there will be one. I would like there to be one but you never know hahaha.

Anyway, thank you all for reading the story and I really hope you stick around to read the rewrite. Lots of love to you all.


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